Preserving memories: Music festival at the Gazino & Turkish Bazaar in Berlin!

Preserving memories: Music festival at the Gazino & Turkish Bazaar in Berlin!

On September 25, 2025, the intercultural house will document the moving legacy of contemporary migration in collaboration with the Sozial label e.V. association. The focus is on the history of the Turkish Bazaar and the Gazino, which took place in Bülowstrasse train station in Berlin until 1993. We are looking for contemporary witnesses who would like to share their experiences from this time. All memories are important here - whether they are created while dancing, singing, buying or selling, or simply in the moments of cheering, crying or complaining.

On October 11, 2025, a music and street festival will take place on Steinmetzstraße in Schöneberg, dedicated to memories of the past from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. there will be a special tent where contemporary witnesses can share and document their experiences over tea, coffee and pastries. Part of the festival is the collection of stories, photos and videos intended to preserve Berlin's cultural heritage. Those interested can leave documents and photos from the time directly on site to add them to the collection. Further information can be found on the festival website.

Preservation of Berlin's history

The project, entitled “City History as Migration History: Berlin Places of Remembrance,” aims to integrate the history of migration and cultural diversity into the city’s collective memory. The reason for this commitment is the 50th anniversary of the German-Turkish recruitment agreement of 1961. The topic is intended to be made more visible in urban areas through targeted projects. Partners in the project include the Free University of Berlin, the Humboldt University, the Kreuzberg Museum and the Jewish Museum Berlin.

Various activities are planned for the coming months, including a thematic dialogue with cultural policy actors, research into places of remembrance culture and the development of a pilot audio guide on Berlin's migration history. In addition, a teaching module will be put together that will prepare Berlin's migration history, and all results will be documented on a special website. Networking with European partners within the framework of the “European Routes of Migration Heritage” is also a central concern of the project, as explained on the FU Berlin website.

These initiatives not only honor the history of the Gazino and the Turkish Bazaar, but also the valuable role that migration plays in Berlin's cultural identity. The upcoming festival offers an excellent opportunity to relive the past and make memories that might otherwise be forgotten.