Syrian roots and German homeland: Samer Tannous' moving story

Syrian roots and German homeland: Samer Tannous' moving story

In 2015, Samer Tannous fled to Germany with his family before the war in Damascus, Syria. Since his arrival, the Syrian -based Syrian in Rotenburg (Wümme) has experienced a positive welcome culture. Tannous describes this situation as continuously grateful, while he does not lose the daily rocket attacks and explosions that endangered the life of his children. In order to address cultural differences, he began to write columns that readers should inform about his experiences and perspectives.

His first column was released on August 14, 2018 in the Wümme newspaper. Since then, Tannous has published impressive 154 columns for the Spiegel and brought out three books, with the last one on April 16 in SPIEGEL Buchverlag. The first two books were very well received and reached the Spiegel bestseller list. Despite the predominantly positive feedback, Tannous is also faced with hate comments from intolerant people.

integration and identity

Although his daughters, 11 and 13 years old, feel comfortable in Rotenburg and do not want to move, the question of integration remains in the foreground. Tannous emphasizes that Germany is dependent on immigrants to support the health system. Nevertheless, he expresses concern about the rise of the AfD and the associated hatred, which underlines the need for better integration of immigrants. For example, he believes that criminal foreigners should be deported.

In order to support the integration of migrants, Belongingness research project-financed research project examined how psychological and socio-cultural adaptation to migrants and host companies have an impact. This project illuminates the sense of belonging and the group membership of migrants from the perspective of the majority in Germany. Initial results show that a strong feeling of belonging is associated with a better prosperity in versatile groups, which underlines the relevance of intercultural understanding.

cultural encounters

Tannous is a fan of the Werder Bremen football club and wishes a northern derby against HSV. He particularly appreciates the beauty of nature and cleanliness in northern Germany. He also praises the diversity of Syrian cuisine, especially its vegetarian dishes. This cultural exchange contributes significantly to the intercultural understanding and opens up new perspectives on life in Germany.

With the constant striving for integration and the desire to beat cultural bridges, Tannous and his family now see Germany as their home. Tannous, who was born in Syria in 1970 and previously worked as a lecturer for French literature, is an example of how migration not only brings challenges but also opportunities.

Further information on Tannous' Experiences in Germany can be found in the Weser-Kurier Integration in Cordis .