Pinar
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“Pinar” means ‘spring water’ – her bubbling life energy, which is also evident in our conversation, bears witness to this. The 44-year-old has been living in Würzburg for three years, where she is increasingly feeling at home. In talking with her, it quickly becomes clear: her journey was anything but easy, but she has mastered it with an impressive mixture of patience, courage and hope.
Pinar was born in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, where she grew up and studied medicine. She worked as a doctor, had a secure life and a happy family. Five years ago, she was forced to flee the country with her husband and children for political reasons. That changed everything.
“At the beginning, I was like a baby; I couldn't speak, I couldn't express myself well,” she says. The first few years were marked by uncertainties, by the challenge of finding her way in a new culture, and by the difficult language. Over time, she has learned to speak German better. She is now working as a doctor again. Today, Pinar feels she has arrived in Würzburg.
Pinar finds Würzburg to be a particularly friendly city. She describes the atmosphere here as more relaxed and welcoming – not only from the Germans, but also from people of other nationalities. She particularly likes the mix of young, open-minded people and the wide range of social opportunities. “I have many friends here,” she says, “Germans, Turks and others.”
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Her greatest fear is still being misunderstood. This stems from an unpleasant incident that happened to her. When she was new in Würzburg and not yet able to work, she offered to volunteer to keep elderly people in a nursing home company and help. This way, she could improve her German skills at the same time, she thought. But things turned out differently. Pinar, who had previously registered at the nursing home, was turned away at the reception, where they knew nothing about her. As she chatted with a resident in front of the home, the staff member became suspicious and called the police. Pinar couldn't believe that this was happening to her. But it was. It upset her and made her very insecure. “It was very sad for me,” she says thoughtfully, adding: ”Misunderstandings can always happen. The important thing is to be willing to learn from them.”
Pinar has clear ideas for the future. She would like to see more understanding for each other, more social responsibility among people, and a society that respects the needs of everyone – young or old, new or long-established.
Das Projekt
in aller Kürze
Jeder Mensch - egal wie alt, egal woher - will irgendwann endlich ankommen. Wir zeigen 1.000 Menschen aus Würzburg, jeden mit seiner eigenen Geschichte.
Über diese Geschichten, Kunst, Diskussionen und kreative Formate laden wir alle ein, miteinander ins Gespräch zu kommen, gemeinsame Werte zu entdecken und sie im besten Fall gemeinschaftlich umzusetzen.
Dass Diversität im eigenen Umfeld als Chance begriffen werden kann, will das Projekt ebenso erfahrbar machen, wie das Glücksgefühl, das sich einstellt, wenn man selbst etwas verändert.
