Justice Beyond the Courtroom? Cultural Responses to Terrorism and Violence in Germany and Beyond (with Çetin Gültekin, Mutlu Koçak, and Ingvild Folkvord)

This bilingual reading and discussion features Turkish-German authors and activists Çetin Gültekin and Mutlu Koçak, who read from their bestseller Geboren, aufgewachsen und ermordet in Deutschland: Das zu kurze Leben meines Bruders Gökhan Gültekin und der Anschlag von Hanau (2024) [Born, Raised and Murdered in Germany: The Brief Life of my Brother Gökhan Gültekin and the Hanau Attack]. The book tells the story of Gökhan Gültekin, one of nine victims of a racist shooting attack that took place in the German city of Hanau in 2020. Çetin Gültekin highlights the many shortcomings of the German state authorities and wider public in adequately responding to and prosecuting the attack – the fight for recognition and justice continues until this day. 

How can we respond to racialised violence and terrorism when state authorities are either incapable or unwilling to deliver justice? How can alternative cultural forms – including (non-)fiction writing, academic research, and grassroots activism – contribute to the delivery of justice? What is the role of these practices in fostering critical memory practices and imagining alternative, less violent futures?

 
Çetin Gültekin and Mutlu Koçak discuss these questions with Ingvild Folkvord from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, an internationally acknowledged expert in cultural responses to terrorism who has worked on contemporary Germany, France, and Norway. 

This reading will take place in person. Attendance is open to all and free of charge. Seats are limited and advance online registration is essential. 

The reading will include descriptions of violent events that some people may find upsetting. 

Image courtesy of the authors.