In Berlin, I hope to focus on the stories of Palestinian refugees. Neukollon is one of the city’s most diverse boroughs, located in the southeastern part of the city center towards Berlin Schonefield Airport. The area is characterized as having one of the highest percentages of immigrants in Berlin. On the edge of the district, Sonnenallee is the artery of a thriving Arab community with shops from across the Middle East. Being such a diverse borough, different dialects of Arabic can be heard and most signs feature both Arabic and German. Many Palestinians, Moroccans, and Syrians dine on traditional food in this area and have a sense of community. There are many Palestinian-run businesses in the area, including stores selling “I Heart Palestine” scarves and trinkets next to miniature statues of Che Guevara, the Arabic bookstore Khan Aljanub, AL Berlin, a cafe-bar-nightclub with a Palestinian owner, and popular restaurants, like Azzam, which serves shawarma and falafels.
Also located in the neighborhood, Al-Huheh was set up in 1995 as the city’s first Palestinian society and been a first point of call for many Palestinians (and other Arab migrants) in Berlin. This organization shows Palestinian refugees how things work in Berlin and helps them meet people. It also hosts events with food and dancing and offers legal advice and relationship counseling.
Though this place may be deemed a “cultural hub,” Germany does not recognize Palestinians as an official nationality, so most people remain underrepresented in government statistics. Despite Palestinian impact, Palestinians in Germany are often reduced in German media to a single political entity: hostile opponents of Israel, a state that Germans shouldering historical guilt for the Holocaust feel compelled to outspokenly support. In response, events such as the Saot Festival have been formed as an “interdisciplinary festival for solidarity with Palestine and intersectional struggles” for activists as tensions rise. Last week in Berlin, there was a rally for Palestine that was confronted by police repression. How do Palestinians confront a diverse city home to many refugees that they may not necessarily be welcome to?
I hope to explore what life is like for Palestinian refugees and how these tensions have affected their transition into German culture. Though I do not have a concrete specific source list just yet, I want to visit the borough of Neukollon, speak with the owners of these Palestinian-owned businesses to start, and then hopefully get connected to Palestinian refugees. I think an exact angle to my story will reveal itself once I am able to venture through the borough more and speak with people. Though they’re a smaller population in Berlin than Afghans, Syrians, and Ukrainians, their story, mixed with a complicated relationship with Germany that hasn’t been shared too much in the media, makes me want to cover them. In addition to covering potential tensions, I really want to focus the story on these cultural hubs that they consider home, and how they’ve found community in such a big city. I do worry about potential language and communication barriers in Berlin, but I hope that I will still be able to connect with many people.
