Kurds in Germany

Last updated
Kurds in Germany
Kurdên Almanyayê
Total population
1,898,000 [1]
Languages
Kurdish, German, Turkish, Persian and Arabic
Religion
Islam (majority), Yazidism (minority)
Related ethnic groups
Kurdish population, Kurdish diaspora

Kurds in Germany are residents or citizens of Germany of full or partial Kurdish origin. There is a large Kurdish community in Germany. The number of Kurds living in Germany is unknown. Many estimates assume that the number is in the million range. [2] [3] [4] In February 2000, the Federal Government of Germany (Die Bundesregierung) estimated that approximately 500,000 Kurds lived in Germany at that time. [5]

Contents

Immigration history of Kurds in Germany

1919 & 1920s

The first Kurds migrated to Germany in 1919 and the years following, most came for diplomatic reasons related to the Ottoman Empire and later Turkey. [6]

1961-1973 (First wave)

The first wave of Kurdish immigrant workers from Turkey arrived after Germany and Turkey signed a treaty which allowed Turkish citizens (mostly men) to immigrate to Germany as "Gastarbeiter" (guest workers) in October 1961. This immigration officially stopped in 1973. By then, the number of immigrants had reached 867,000 (1.5 million in 1980 and 2.1 million in 1998). The percentage of Kurds in this immigrant diaspora is unknown but is speculated to be in the high hundreds of thousands. [6]

1980-2003 (Second wave)

The oppression of Kurds in the 1980s under the then newly formed Islamic republic of Iran and the then following Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) kickstarted the second wave of Kurdish migration to Germany (and other countries). This second wave only increased in scale after the Gulf Wars and later invasion of Iraq by the U.S [6]

2011-2018 (Third wave)

Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, many of the Syrian refugees who have come to Germany are Kurds. The later War against ISIL also created a wave of immigrants from Iraq and Kurdistan Region. [6]

Impact of Kurdish immigration to Germany

Integration of Kurdish immigrants to Germany

According to the "Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)" (English: "Federal Office for Migration and Refugees") most Germans with ancestry going back to Turkey (thus including Kurds from Turkey) speak fluent german. Notably Gender roles in second generation immigrants resemble that of native Germans (i.e women are seen as equal). Overall the "BAMF" concludes that immigrants with german citizenship are more integrated in german society than those without. [7]

Religion of Kurds in Germany

Islam

Sunni

Most Kurdish immigrants in Germany follow the Sunni branch of Islam, who are often from Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Around 40 Mosques in Germany are part of the umbrella association "Islamische Gesellschaft Kurdistans" (English: Islamic society of Kurdistan; Kurdish: Civaka Îslamiya Kurdistan (CÎK))

Alevism

The number of Alevis in Germany is between 450,000 and 800,000 (mostly from Turkey), a high percentage of which are Kurds.

Yazidism

According to "Deutschlandfunk" 190 thousand Yazidis lived in Germany in 2018. [8] 7,000 live in Celle and 1,300 in Oldenburg. [9] [10]

Cities

German Kurds live spread throughout Germany, especially in cities with a large proportion of Turkish people. Examples are Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Hannover, Kiel and Essen. [11]

Political representation

There have been several politicians in German political parties with a Kurdish origin and who also openly demand an embetterment of the situation for the Kurds. Prominent names are the Members of the Bundestag Gökay Akbulut, [12] Evrim Sommer [13] or Sevim Dagdelen, [14] all members of the Die Linke. Muhterem Aras of the Green Party is the president of the State legislature of Baden-Württemberg. [15]

Political activism

Protest against Turkey's military offensive into north-eastern Syria on 10 October 2019 Rojava solidarity demonstration Berlin 2019-10-10 22.jpg
Protest against Turkey's military offensive into north-eastern Syria on 10 October 2019

In 2014, Kurds in Germany marched in protest over the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's siege of Kobani. [16] [17]

In 2015, thousands of Kurds in Germany marched against Turkish Air Force air strikes on Kurdish civilians. [18]

In October 2019, thousands of German Kurds protested against the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria. [19]

In November 2023, around 4.100 people (mostly Germans of Kurdish origin) protested against the ban of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and against the politics of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. [20]

Gangs

According to the German authorities tin 2013. The Swiss newspapers Blick and Neue Zürcher Zeitung claimed that the Kurdish gang/motorcycle club "Sondame", allegedly "fighting" for a free Kurdistan, was formed in Stuttgart, and in 2015, it had about 1,000 members in Germany and Switzerland. [21] [22] The group is not well known and its existence is controversial. Other Kurdish motorcycle club and gangs include Median Empire [23] and Red Legion. [24] [25] [22] [26]

Women's rights

Memorial plaque for Hatun Surucu in Berlin, Germany. The Kurdish woman from Turkey was murdered aged 23 by her brothers in an honour killing. Gedenktafel Oberlandgarten 1 (Temp) Hatun Surucu.JPG
Memorial plaque for Hatun Sürücü in Berlin, Germany. The Kurdish woman from Turkey was murdered aged 23 by her brothers in an honour killing.

Some cases of honour killing have been reported among the Kurdish diaspora in Germany. [27] In March 2009, a Kurdish immigrant from Turkey, Gülsüm S., was killed for a relationship not in keeping with her family's plan for an arranged marriage. [28] In 2016 a Kurdish woman was shot dead at her wedding in Hannover after refusing to marry her cousin. [29]

Notable people

See List of German people of Kurdish descent

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurdistan Workers' Party</span> Kurdish militant and political organization

The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement which historically operated throughout Kurdistan but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq. It was founded in Ziyaret, Lice on 27 November 1978 and has been involved in asymmetric warfare in the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. Although the PKK initially sought an independent Kurdish state, in the 1990s its official platform changed to seeking autonomy and increased political and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamal Nebez</span> Kurdish writer and mathematician (1933–2018)

Jamal Nebez was a Kurdish linguist, mathematician, politician, author, translator and writer. He studied Islamic law, philosophy, theology, physics and mathematics at the University of Baghdad in the 1950s. In 1956, he prepared a stenciled script on algebra and in 1960, succeeded in publishing the first physics book in Kurdish, including a rich glossary of Kurdish terms pertaining to physics and mathematics. He translated several literary works, including works of Nikolai Gogol and William Shakespeare into Kurdish. He also wrote and published several books on a variety of topics. Most of the books are mainly about topics related to Kurds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurdish culture</span> Culture of the Kurdish people

Kurdish culture is a group of distinctive cultural traits practiced by Kurdish people. The Kurdish culture is a legacy from ancient peoples who shaped modern Kurds and their society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurdish population</span> Ethnic group

The Kurdish population is estimated to be between 30 and 45 million. Most Kurdish people live in Kurdistan, which today is split between Iranian Kurdistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkish Kurdistan, and Syrian Kurdistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurdish Americans</span> People born in or residing in the US of Kurdish origin

Kurds in the United States refers to people born in or residing in the United States of Kurdish origin or those considered to be ethnic Kurds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurds in Sweden</span> Ethnic group

Kurds in Sweden may refer to people born in or residing in Sweden who are of Kurdish origin.

Kurds in Switzerland are residents in Switzerland of full or partial Kurds origin. The Kurds in Switzerland mainly reside in the Cantons of Zurich, Aargau and Basel-Stadt and are descendants of migrants of refugees from the regions around Pazarcık, Kahraranmaraş or Erzincan. There are also shia kurdish migrants from Iranian Kurdistan, the region around Ilam and Kermanshah along with Feyli Kurds from Baghdad who mainly reside Geneva and Zürich

The problem of Kurdish refugees and displaced people arose in the 20th century in the Middle East, and continues today. The Kurds, are an ethnic group in Western Asia, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Union Party (Syria)</span> Kurdish political party

The Democratic Union Party is a Kurdish left-wing political party established on 20 September 2003 in northern Syria. It is a founding member of the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change. It is the leading political party among Syrian Kurds. The PYD was established as a Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in 2003, and both organizations are still closely affiliated through the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Defense Units</span> Mainly-Kurdish militia in Syria

The People's Defense Units (YPG), also called People's Protection Units, is a socialist US-backed Kurdish militant group in Syria and the primary component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurds in France</span> Ethnic group

Kurds in France may refer to people born in or residing in France of full or partial Kurds origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurds in Finland</span> Ethnic group

Kurds in Finland refers to Kurds living in Finland. In 2022 there were 16,603 Kurdish speakers in Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian Kurdistan</span> Kurdish inhabited area of Syria

Syrian Kurdistan or Rojava is a region in northern Syria where Kurds form the majority. It is surrounding three noncontiguous enclaves along the Turkish and Iraqi borders: Afrin in the northwest, Kobani in the north, and Jazira in the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurds in the Netherlands</span> Ethnic group in the Netherlands

Kurds in the Netherlands may refer to people born in or residing in the Netherlands of Kurdish origin.

In the early morning of 25 April 2017, the Turkish Air Force conducted multiple airstrikes against media centers and headquarters of the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) in northeastern Syria, and against positions of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) on Mount Sinjar, northwestern Iraq. The airstrikes killed 20 YPG and YPJ fighters in Syria in addition to five Peshmerga soldiers in Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Düzen Tekkal</span> German journalist (born 1978)

Düzen Tekkal is a German author, television journalist, filmmaker, war correspondent, political scientist, and social entrepreneur of Kurdish descent. She is Yazidi.

Kurds in Greece are the people in Greece of Kurdish origin. Kurds have primarily migrated to Greece due to war and persecution. Most asylum seekers in Greece during the 1990s were Kurds from mainly Iraq but also from southeastern Turkey. A total of 43,759 Kurds entered in Greece in the latter part of 1990s, in which 40,932 were from Iraq and 2,827 from Turkey. However, only 9,797 of these sought asylum in Greece.

Şêxbizin is a Kurdish tribe present near Koy Sanjaq in Kurdistan Region, Iraq with smaller communities dispersed throughout Turkey. While the tribe speaks Sorani in Kurdistan Region, the ones in Turkey have kept their tribal sub-dialect of Laki called Şêxbizinî or Kirmancekîman. Nonetheless, many in Turkey only know Turkish due to the assimilatory policies of Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurdish population of Nashville</span> Ethnic group in Nashville, Tennessee

The single largest community in the United States of ethnic Kurds exists in Nashville, Tennessee. This enclave is often called "Little Kurdistan" and is located in South Nashville. The majority of Nashville's "Little Kurdistan" comes from Iraqi Kurdistan, however there are sizeable communities of Kurds from Syria, Iran, and Turkey. It has been estimated that there are 15,000 Kurds living in Nashville, although more recent estimates place the number at around 20,000, the largest in the country.

Ferdinand Hennerbichler is an Austrian historian, philologist, anthropologist, and a prominent Kurdologist. He is also a former diplomat and journalist.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.rudaw.net/kurmanci/kurdistan/050520229
  2. ↑ "Geschenk an Erdogan? Kurdisches Kulturfestival verboten". heise.de. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  3. ↑ Peters, Freia (11 October 2014). "Islamisten und Kurden: Brutale Gruppen in Deutschland - WELT". DIE WELT. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  4. ↑ https://kurdische-gemeinde.de/zahl-der-kurden-in-deutschland-sprunghaft-angestiegen/ This source says that the Kurdish population in Germany increased to 1.15 million in 2015.
  5. ↑ "Deutscher Bundestag: ETWA 500.000 KURDEN LEBEN IN DEUTSCHLAND (ANTWORT)". webarchiv.bundestag.de. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  6. 1 2 3 4 sagt, Valentin (2020-01-23). "100 Jahre kurdische Einwanderung nach Deutschland" (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  7. ↑ "Studie: Integration von Türkeistämmigen in Deutschland". BAMF - Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  8. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de. "Jesiden in Deutschland - Abschied von Afrin". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  9. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de. "Jesidin in Deutschland - "Es ist Angst, Angst, Angst"". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  10. ↑ "Die Yeziden in Deutschland - Religion und Leben". 2010-02-23. Archived from the original on 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  11. ↑ "Tensions between Germany's Turks and Kurds boil over with Syria offensive". www.hiiraan.com. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Stellungnahme von Stadträtin Gökay Akbulut (DIE LINKE) zum Verbot der Demonstration "Weg mit dem Verbot der PKK" in Mannheim". Kommunalinfo Mannheim (in German). 2017-04-07. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  13. ↑ Ekinci, Burhan (7 January 2021). "German Kurdish MP says Erdoğan government 'serious threat' to EU, calls for sanctions". Ahval .
  14. ↑ "Abgeordnete zeigt verbotene Kurdenflagge im Bundestag". Die Zeit . 21 November 2017. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  15. ↑ Crolly, Hannelore (2017-01-02). "Muslimische Landtagspräsidentin: Frauen am Steuer – das machte Muhterem Aras sprachlos". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  16. ↑ "Kurds protested in Germany over 'IS' attacks on the Syrian town of Kobani". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  17. ↑ "Thousands march in France, Germany, Austria to support Kobane Kurds". Radio France Internationale. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  18. ↑ "Thousands of Kurds in Germany march against Turkish air strikes" . Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "Germany: Thousands protest Turkish operation in Syria | DW | 12.10.2019". Deutsche Welle .
  20. ↑ "Rund 4.100 Teilnehmer bei Kurden-Demonstration gegen Erdogan". www.rbb24.de (in German). 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  21. ↑ Blick (4 May 2015). ""Der Auftritt ist sehr aggressiv": Wie gefährlich sind die Kurden-Rocker Sondame?" . Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  22. 1 2 Baumgartner, Fabian (17 May 2015). "Rivalisierende Banden in Zürich: Machtkampf zwischen kurdischen "Brüdern" und Rockern". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  23. ↑ MEYER, MEHMET ATA und OLIVER. ""Median Empire": Kurden-Rocker drohen den Hells Angels" . Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  24. ↑ Rocker-Info.net (2 April 2015). "Stuttgarter Kurden drohen weiter den United Tribuns" . Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  25. ↑ Germany. "Red Legion - aktuelle Themen, Nachrichten & Bilder". Stuttgarter Zeitung . Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "German motorcycle gang joins Isis fight". thelocal.de. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  27. ↑ Palash R. Ghosh. "Honor Crimes in Britain Far More Prevalent than Formerly Thought". International Business Times. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  28. ↑ "Erschlagen, weil sie schwanger war? – Killed, because she was pregnant?". Der Bild. 3 April 2009.
  29. ↑ "Kurdish woman shot dead at wedding for refusing to marry her cousin". The Telegraph. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.