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DAY 27/251 1981 – WEST BERLIN TO BERLIN, GERMANY

The cuisine and culinary offerings of Berlin vary greatly, reflecting its historical connections with the esat as well as the west.

Many local foods originated from north German culinary traditions and include rustic and hearty dishes with pork, goose, fish, peas, beans, cucumbers, or potatoes. Typical Berliner fare include popular street food like the Currywurst (which gained popularity with postwar construction workers rebuilding the city), Buletten and the Berliner donut. Germans love to laugh about American President Kennedy saying;

“Ich bin ein Berliner” (“I am a donut”)

 German bakeries offering a variety of breads and pastries are widespread.

Berlin is also home to a diverse gastronomic scene reflecting the immigrant history of the city. Turkish and Arab immigrants brought their culinary traditions to Berlin, such as the lahmajoun and falafel, which have become common fast food staples. The modern fast food version of the doner kebab evolved in Berlin in the 1970s, and has become a favourite dish in Germany and elsewhere.

The Turkish presence in Germany and Austria has been continuous since a series of invading Crusades by European-Christian armies into lands ruled by Turkic rulers in the Middle East, namely under the Seljuk Turks in the Seljuk Empire and the Rum Seljuk Sultanate (but also the Bahri Mamluk Sultanate). Many crusaders brought back Turkish male and female prisoners of war to Europe; women were generally baptised and then married whilst "every returning baron and count had [male] prisoners of war in his entourage." Some of the Beutetürken ("booty Turks") taken to Germany during the Crusades also included children and young adults.

The Turkish people had greater contact with the German states by the sixteenth century when the Ottoman Empire attempted to expand beyond their north Balkan territories. The Ottoman Turks held two sieges in Vienna: the first Siege of Vienna in 1529 and the Second Siege of Vienna in 1683. The aftermath of the second siege resulted in Turkish communities permanently settling in Germany.

Many Ottoman soldiers and camp followers who were left behind after the second siege of Vienna became stragglers or prisoners. At least 500 Turkish prisoners were forcibly settled in Germany. Historical records show that some Turks became traders or took up other professions, particularly in southern Germany. Some Turks fared very well in Germany, and Ottoman Turks were raised to the Hanoverian nobility. Historical records also show that many Ottoman Turks converted to Christianity and became priests or pastors.

The aftermath of the second siege of Vienna led to a series of wars between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, known as the "Great Turkish War", or the "War of the Holy League", which included a series of Ottoman defeats. Consequently, more Turks were taken by the Europeans as prisoners. The Turkish captives taken to Germany were not only made up of men. General Schöning took "two of the most beautiful women in the world" in Buda, who later converted to Christianity. Another Turkish captive named Fatima became the mistress of Augustus II the Strong, Elector of Saxony of the Albertine line of the House of Wettin. Fatima and Augustus had two children: their son, Frederick Augustus Rutowsky, became the commander of the Saxon army in 1754-63 and their daughter, Maria Anna Katharina Rutowska, married into Polish nobility. It was not uncommon for Turks in Germany to convert to Christianity, and 28 Turks converted to Christianity and were settled in Württemberg.

With the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701, Turkish people continued to enter the German lands as soldiers employed by the Prussian kings. Historical records show that this was particularly evident with the expansion of Prussia in the mid-18th century. For example, in 1731, the Duke of Kurland presented twenty Turkish guardsmen to King Frederick William I, and at one time, about 1,000 Muslim soldiers served in the Prussian cavalry. The Prussian king's fascination with the Enlightenment was reflected in their consideration for the religion of their Muslim troops. By 1740 Frederick the Great stated:

"All religions are just as good as each other, as long as the people who practice them are honest, and even if Turks and heathens came and wanted to populate this country, then we would build mosques and temples for them".

By 1763, an Ottoman legation existed at the Prussian court in Berlin. Its third envoy, Ali Aziz Efendi, died in 1798 leading to the establishment of the first Muslim cemetery in Germany. However, several decades later, there was a need for another cemetery, as well as a mosque, and the Ottoman sultan Abdülaziz I was given permission to patronize a mosque in Berlin in 1866

The first Ottoman siege of Vienna, led to mixed cuisine like Vienna coffee, cappuchino, doner kebabs and other Turkish culinary influences. Asian cuisine including Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Korean, and Japanese restaurants, as well as Spanish tapas bars, Italian, and Greek cuisine, are also in many parts of cosmopolitan Berlin.

Turkish is the second most spoken language in Germany, after German. It was brought to Germany by Turkish immigrants who spoke it as their first language. These immigrants mainly learned German through employment, mass media, and social settings, and it has now become a second language for many of them. Nonetheless, most Turkish immigrants have passed down their mother tongue to their children and descendants. In general, Turkish Germans become bilingual at an early age, learning Turkish at home and German in state schools. Conversely, the German language is commonly used in Turkey.

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