Being here together like this opens the heart
- 01.08.2025
- Practical Project
Team Cultural Experience Summer 2025: Leonie Bachleitner, Fee Schmidt, Christina Bekeszus, Martje Ranis, guest author Betül Licht, Lea Gratzer (f.l.t.r.).
In mid-May 2025, Turkish-German author Betül Licht read from her book In meiner Not rief ich die Eule (In my distress, I called the owl) at the FH Kufstein Tirol. The event was part of the Cultural Experiences series and provided a space for dialogue on migration and social coexistence.
As part of a practical project for the Sports, Culture and Event Management degree program at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol, the university campus was transformed into a meeting place on May 19, 2025. Turkish-German author Betül Licht was a guest and presented her book In meiner Not rief ich die Eule (In my distress, I called the owl), in which she recounts her experiences as an immigrant during her childhood and youth in six letters to a friend. A Turkish finger food buffet, lovingly prepared by Emel Akçay, provided a relaxed atmosphere during the break.
The event was part of the ongoing Cultural Experience series and was organized in cooperation with the Diversity Department of the City of Kufstein and the student association ZeitFrei.
The organization was a practical and profound experience with social relevance.
Lea Gratzer
Student & Project Leader
The Cultural Experience series aims to promote awareness and break down prejudices through direct contact and engagement with minorities. The open reading followed by a discussion invited the audience to reflect on migration, identity, and living together in a diverse society.
Betül Licht was born in Turkey in 1955 and has lived in Germany since childhood. Her personal experiences with migration and cultural differences shape her literary and professional work. A few copies of the book presented here are also available at kubi – Bibliothek für Wissenschaft & Freizeit (Library for Science & Leisure).
FOCUS ON THE LEGACY OF THE FIRST GENERATION
The focus of the evening was on the reality of life for the first generation of people of Turkish origin in German-speaking society. Betül Licht, author and long-standing member of staff at a psychosocial counseling center in Hamburg, gave an impressive insight into issues such as uprooting, alienation, and belonging through her reading and personal experiences.
When someone is unwanted in a foreign place, how are they supposed to integrate?
Betül Licht
Author
“If a person is unwanted in a foreign country, how are they supposed to integrate?” asked the author, opening a discussion about current challenges and misunderstandings in the integration process.
The ensuing dialogue was characterized by openness, respect, and mutual listening. Around 35 guests took part, including students and interested parties from Kufstein and the surrounding area.
AN EVENING WITH SPACE FOR DIALOGUE AND UNDERSTANDING
The words struck a chord with the audience, as the content was not easy to digest. Licht used clear language to emphasize the importance of empathy and knowledge in enabling genuine coexistence. Her central message was that integration can only succeed if it takes place on an equal footing. “No one has to give up their values. I keep mine, you keep yours – but we meet in the middle,” she said during the discussion.
It left a quiet echo about belonging, understanding, and the courage to truly encounter others.
Links:
- Sports, Culture and Event Management | ft
- diversity.kufstein | Instagram
- zeitfrei.kufstein | Instagram
- Get the book | Thalia.at
This article was written by students in the full-time bachelor's degree program in Sports, Culture & Event Management as part of their practical project.