At the Ahlen Art Museum, two 10th-grade classes from the Therese-Münsterteicher Comprehensive School met Berlin-based author Fikri Anıl Altıntaş, one of the most prominent voices in the current discourse on identity, role models, and new masculinity.
Altıntaş read from his debut novel *Im Morgen wächst ein Birnbaum*—a personal reflection on the influences of upbringing, pressure to conform, and patriarchal structures. The novel offers a nuanced perspective on non-white masculinity beyond common clichés and sparked an intense discussion among the students. The author encouraged the young people to embrace vulnerability and critically question societal expectations.
The event concluded with a joint tour of the exhibition “Sweet Homeland: German-Turkish Life in Art.” This created a vibrant interplay of literature, the search for identity, and art, reflecting diverse, interwoven experiences drawn from the realities of German-Turkish life.
The project was made possible through the generous support of Sparkasse Münsterland Ost.
