Documenting self-loathing or ‘We are proud of not being proud’: Neukölln Unlimited and Prinzessinnenbad as examples of failed integration

Abstract

The experiences of six adolescents in Berlin, as depicted in two documentaries, serve as examples of failed integration. These young people, some with and some without a migrant background, allow glimpses into their lives in Neukölln Unlimited (2010) by Agostino Imondi and Dietmar Ratsch, and in Bettina Blümner’s Prinzessinnenbad / Pool of Princesses (2007). This article highlights how the films corroborate the findings made by social system theorist Ulrich Schmidt-Denter about disaffected youth in Germany. He argues that German self-loathing is a significant reason for the failure of many migrants and their children to integrate. An apparently specifically German tendency to observe and reflect on oneself critically seems to sabotage integration and aspiration. To illustrate how both documentaries validate Schmidt-Denter’s findings, I analyse the six protagonists’ attitudes to themselves and others, demonstrating that they contradict the diagnosis of a new German norm in relation to national identity.

The Turkish-German Bridge: A Unique Socio-Spatial Construction in Kreuzberg

“…Another district with significant Turkish population is that of Neukölln. Ludewig (2017) observes that "Neukölln is an inner-city district in Berlin that accommodates 150,000 residents coming from more than 190 different countries… the percentage of migrants and 'new' Germans is set to rise dramatically… in districts such as Neukölln and neighboring Kreuzberg, ethnic minorities actually form the majority" (2017 p. 278). Neukölln and Kreuzberg are divided by an official border imposed by the government, but this often does not reflect the social reality of these two deeply interconnected boroughs.…”

“…When universal ideas are put into local practice in friction they express themselves in different ways, even in the same city, because there are different social spaces in Berlin. Ludewig (2017) states, "…tensions and prejudices are still common, and the integration of many Germans with a migrant background, even if they were born and raised in Germany or have indeed become German citizens, remains limited" (2017 p. 276). The Turkish-Germans in Berlin, have shifted in their identity, and, at the same time, changed the space itself.…”