Ferdane
Satır

26. August 1984

Duisburg

Life of Ferdane Satır

Ferdane Satır, born Ferdane Gök on 15 August 1944, was a loving mother of eight children. Growing up in the village of Yeniköy in the Turkish province of Adana, she worked in agriculture. She married Ramazan Satır at the age of 17 and moved to Duisburg-Wanheimerort with part of her family in 1976.

Ferdane was a caring and loving mother who set clear rules and always kept an eye on her children. The family coped with everyday life together, and she promoted cohesion through house rules and joint handicrafts. Music, especially songs by Ferdi Tayfur and Neşet Ertaş, was a source of joy in her life. Eating together was central to family life and Ferdane, an excellent cook, created an atmosphere of security. Her life story is a testament to strength and resilience. Her memory is lovingly cherished by her family.

Forms of remembrance

The arson attack in Duisburg in 1984, in which seven people lost their lives, remained invisible to the public for a long time. It was not until 2019, 35 years later, that the Duisburg 1984 campaign group was founded and began to come to terms with the events together with those affected and survivors.

The campaign group advocated a critical examination of racism and the visibility of the perspectives of those affected. In 2019, the first public remembrance and commemoration took place, where survivors and relatives of racist and anti-Semitic violence from all over Germany came together to show solidarity with the survivors, to remember, to listen and to support their demands for recognition and justice. Since 2020, an annual commemorative event has been organised at the memorial site at Wanheimer Straße 301 in Duisburg to remember those affected.

In 2020, a commission of the City of Duisburg, consisting of representatives of the administration, the council, the campaign group and the family, began its work to anchor remembrance and commemoration in the city’s society. On 26 August 2023, the 39th anniversary, a memorial plaque was installed at the memorial site at Wanheimer Straße 301.

In the summer of 2024, the Duisburg 1984 Campaign group disbanded. However, the families, friends and survivors remain in solidarity and networked with other people who have experienced right-wing violence throughout Germany in order to keep the memory of their deceased relatives and their stories alive.

What happened

This memorial chronicle addresses right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence, including specific incidents, backgrounds and consequences. The content may contain incriminating descriptions of violence, discrimination and suffering.

The following fold-out section “Description of the offence” describes specific acts of violence. We would therefore like to point out to those affected and readers that dealing with this content can have a re-traumatising effect. Before accessing the content, please check whether you feel mentally and emotionally able to deal with such topics and, if necessary, do not do so alone.

The racist arson attack in Duisburg in 1984: a painful memory

In August 1984, a racist arson attack took place in Duisburg-Wanheimerort that is still painfully remembered today and is little known to the public. The house of the Satır and Turhan families at 301 Wanheimer Straße was the target of this deadly arson attack. Seven people lost their lives and 23 others were injured, some of them seriously.

We remember:

Ferdane Satır (born 15 August 1944)

Çiğdem Satır (born 25 July 1977)

Ümit Satır (born 4 April 1979)

Songül Satır (born 4 August 1980)

Zeliha Turhan (born 23 May 1966)

Rasim Turhan (born 21 January 1966)

Tarık Turhan (born 2 July 1984)

The house was inhabited exclusively by migrants and racialised people. Although the building had previously been smeared with swastikas, the authorities quickly ruled out a racist or extreme right-wing motive. Instead, they suspected a “gang war” as the background to the attack. Survivors were stigmatised as perpetrators. This depoliticisation of the crime remains a painful point in the process of coming to terms with it to this day.

Sources

Aynur Satır (2024). 26. August 1984, Duisburg-Wanheimerort. “I will continue to fight – for truth and justice” In: Ali Şirin (ed.), Erinnern heißt kämpfen – Kein Schlussstrich unter unsere Stimme (pp. 42-46).

Magazine “Hinsehen” (December 2024 issue) of the Rhineland Survivors Counselling Service. 

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