Sezen Tatlici, Founder of Typisch Deutsch e.V.

It’s apparent everywhere – Germany is growing increasingly diverse. But even today Sezen Tatlici is often marked as a “foreigner”, even though she’s a German citizen.

Sezen Tatlici is true Berliner and loves the Schöneberg district where she grew up. Nonetheless, she’s still often seen as a foreigner – or at least as not quite German. In the wake of a polemical debate about integration, Tatlici decided to take a stand. She gathered together a group of her friends – all children of immigrants who, like Tatlici, grew up in Berlin. In 2010, they founded the multicultural association “Typisch Deutsch” – or “Typically German”. The association visits schools and talks about German identity and about what being a member of German society really means. Last year, the association even was mentioned in a German history textbook for schoolchildren. Sezen Tatlici takes pride in raising awareness about the variety of cultures that make up Germany – and her vision appears to be bearing fruit.