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

Abstract

With the migration of Turkish people to Germany came the need to negotiate identity in a different space. Interactions and connections with their origin space and destination space create an opportunity for a new type of hybrid identity and manifestation in the neighborhoods where they live. The Kreuzberg neighborhood in Berlin is a place with ephemeral, unspoken borders, where Turkish-German residents face inclusion and exclusion on both sides. This dual-othering has a deep impact on the social psychology of this group and how socio-spatial practices are negotiated. This article examines how Turkish-Germans in Kreuzberg re-appropriate their identity and its spatial component to produce a unique space of their own.