A new perspective on post-migration German identity

This paper examines the question of what it means to be German. Its goal is to show a historic comparison between what was published in the 19 th-century and what has changed since the end of WWII. The basis of the first part will be, among others, Richard Wagner's article "Was ist deutsch" (1865/1878) and Johann Gottlieb Fichte's "Reden an die deutsche Nation" (1807/1808). In the second part, these concepts and ideas will be put into relation with today's situation. That means, there will be a short introduction to the historical events that lead to today's situation of many people of Turkish descent living in Germany and constituting an inherent part of German society. This part also uses different media to show how Germans address the question of German identity since 1945.;I argue that nowadays, especially people with migratory background, i. e. second- or third-generation immigrants deal with the topic of national identity and what it means to be "German", although these people do not comply with all categories of German national identity established in the 19 th-century by personalities such as Fichte or Wagner. So, I will investigate if these categories are still applicable today. After few examples of what 19th-century thinkers would qualify as "pure Germans", my main focus will be on literature, music, and films by people with migratory background and how they express themselves towards German identity. I will show that Germany is more multicultural than pure and does to a certain extent no longer correspond to the ideals of the 19th-century, even though recent political movements raise their voice against this kind of new national identity.