TRANSIT BLOG

TRANSIT Blog was formerly part of the Multicultural Germany Project (MGP), which we are now merging with Transit Journal. Founded in 2001 by the German Department at UC Berkeley, MGP served as a research collaborative and continuously updated archive of migration, supported by the tireless energy and willpower of our very own Deniz Göktürk and UC Berkeley’s graduate students. Our blog includes reactions to current events and news, research materials, and teaching resources. Maintained mainly by students at Berkeley, the blog provides a window into our activities and campus discussions. We hope that TRANSIT Blog continues to serve as a resource and forum for both aspiring and continuing professionals in German Studies and its adjacent fields; we welcome contributions of short thought-pieces of ca. 1000-1500 words year-round. If you would like to contribute your own blog post or other materials (in English or German), please contact us at transitjournal@berkeley.edu.

  • Merkel gegen türkische Gymnasien in Deutschland

    Angela Merkel spoke out against the suggestion by Tayyip Erdogan to open solely Turkish high schools in Germany.  Not only German politicians were against his suggestions; the Türkischen Gemeinde in Deutschland also said that exclusive high schools were counterproductive towards integration. Read the full article here.

  • “Tuerkei will mit Merkel ueber Visa reden” (“Turkey wants to talk with chancellor Merkel about visa”)

    The article “Tuerkei will mit Merkel ueber Visa reden” (“Turkey wants to talk with Chancellor Merkel about visa”) addresses the issue of visa-free travel into the EU. Turkish citizens are dissatisfied by the fact that they still have to apply for a visa to travel to EU countries, even though Turkey has applied to become…

  • Germany’s Record Debt In 2010

    Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was approved for the borrowing of 80.2 billion Euros ($109 billion) for 2010, making it the highest borrowing figure in record. The government blames this accumulating debt on the global downfall of the economy. However, there are plans to reduce the budget deficit and a bill known as the “debt brake”…

  • Skinhead Converts to Judaism

    Pawel was a neo-Nazi skinhead until his skinhead girlfriend found out that both she and he had Jewish roots. Now they are Orthodox Jews raising their two children in a Jewish home in Poland. In Dan Bilefsky’s article “Changing Face in Poland: Skinhead Puts on Skullcap”, Pawel’s reaction reminds me of Lois’ reaction in the…

  • “Sarrazin vergrault tuerkische Waehler” (Sarrazin Scares Away Turkish Voters)

    The article “Sarrazin vergrault tuerkische Waehler” (Sarrazin Scares Away Turkish Voters) discusses how SPD member Thilo Sarrazin recently made inappropriate, racist comments about integration, more precisely about German-Turks. An example of a comment he made is “kleine Kopftuchmaedchen” (small head scarf girls). People cannot understand how Thilo Sarrazin can still be allowed to be part…

  • Mouthpieces for Turkish Interests

    Recently leaders of Turkish decent around Europe have been enticed to join in all-expense paid events in Istanbul. These events were organized by the Turkish government and led by the conservative-religious Justice and Development (AKP) party with a wide array of speakers. The conferences outraged the Turkish-German politicians present who felt the agenda of these…

  • US-Turkey relations

    This article summarizes the crucial role Turkey plays in a diverse set of important areas, seen form the US point of view. “Given Turkey’s history as a secular democratic stat that respects the rule of law, but is also a majority Muslim nation, it plays a critical role…in helping to shape mutual understanding and stability…

  • Burhan Qurbani’s “Shahada”

    What is Islam? What does it mean to be a good Muslim? Link to Video Here The 2:04-minute trailer to the film “Shahada,” release date as of yet unknown, opens with two very evocative questions relevant to much of the multi-cultural world today. This German film, featured at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival, was…

  • Young Germany

    This website, much of it in English, some in German, is pretty interesting.  It publishes articles on pretty much anything young people are interested in, from fashion to climate change, sports to education.  Under the “Life in Germany” tab there are articles and resources for people from Italy, Latin America, Russia, and so on.  Check…

  • new synagogue built in herford.

    This Sunday, a new synagogue was opened in the German town of Herford, which had been without a synagogue since its last one was destroyed over 70 years ago during Kristallnacht.  There had been a pressing need in the community for a genuine place of worship, as the prayer room in a Jewish school nearby…