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Germans and Turks: A Forgotten History of Europe
German-Turkish relations form an integral backdrop to many of today’s most pressing political concerns, including the absorption of refugees from the Middle East in Europe, debates about coexistence with Muslims in Western societies, and European geopolitics in Western Asia. Yet the story of this relationship, its 800-year history and often fateful consequences, has never been fully told.
In this book, Stefan Ihrig presents the first history of the relationship of these two peoples, from the Middle Ages until today. It is a relationship that has had many twists and turns, from adversaries in the early modern conflict between the Ottoman Empire and Christian Central Europe to allies at the end of the nineteenth century and during WWI. In a way it is a story that shows that this is one of the longest-lasting relationships between peoples in Europe. It is also one that contradicts many of the basic tenets of Edward Said’s Orientalism. And, as Ihrig shows, it’s a relationship that surprises and confounds simplistic narratives. Far from one sided, the encounter between German and Turkish-speaking people over the centuries reveals a mutual fascination that stands in contrast to British, French or American interactions with the Middle East and North Africa.
The coda to this story is the now up to four million people of Turkish descent living in Germany. With modern Turkey taking an increasingly prominent role on the global stage and the German state the most powerful in the European Union, understanding the history of this complicated and dynamic relationship is more important than ever.
In this book, Stefan Ihrig presents the first history of the relationship of these two peoples, from the Middle Ages until today. It is a relationship that has had many twists and turns, from adversaries in the early modern conflict between the Ottoman Empire and Christian Central Europe to allies at the end of the nineteenth century and during WWI. In a way it is a story that shows that this is one of the longest-lasting relationships between peoples in Europe. It is also one that contradicts many of the basic tenets of Edward Said’s Orientalism. And, as Ihrig shows, it’s a relationship that surprises and confounds simplistic narratives. Far from one sided, the encounter between German and Turkish-speaking people over the centuries reveals a mutual fascination that stands in contrast to British, French or American interactions with the Middle East and North Africa.
The coda to this story is the now up to four million people of Turkish descent living in Germany. With modern Turkey taking an increasingly prominent role on the global stage and the German state the most powerful in the European Union, understanding the history of this complicated and dynamic relationship is more important than ever.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
424 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2026
About the author
Stefan Ihrig
11 books24 followersStefan Ihrig is a historian specializing in German and Turkish history, with a particular interest in the darker aspects of human history—though he writes from the position of an eternal optimist.
He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. His book Atatürk in the Nazi Imagination has been translated into five languages, and Justifying Genocide was awarded the 2017 Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prize for Excellence in Armenian Studies. He divides his time between the Eastern Mediterranean and northern France.
He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. His book Atatürk in the Nazi Imagination has been translated into five languages, and Justifying Genocide was awarded the 2017 Dr. Sona Aronian Book Prize for Excellence in Armenian Studies. He divides his time between the Eastern Mediterranean and northern France.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy
I highly recommend this fascinating book. Germans and Turks offers a rich and engaging look at nearly a thousand years of German–Turkish relations. Rather than presenting a simple story of conflict or coexistence, Stefan Ihrig masterfully uncovers a much more complex history of encounters, exchange, and changing perceptions.
What impressed me most was Ihrig’s ability to synthesize an enormous body of scholarship into a narrative that is both accessible and intellectually stimulating. Whether you are a historian or simply interested in German history, Ottoman and Turkish history, or European history more broadly, this is a book that deserves to be read.
What impressed me most was Ihrig’s ability to synthesize an enormous body of scholarship into a narrative that is both accessible and intellectually stimulating. Whether you are a historian or simply interested in German history, Ottoman and Turkish history, or European history more broadly, this is a book that deserves to be read.
Review of advance copy received from 其他
A Masterful Account of a Millennium of Entangled History
Stefan Ihrig's Germans and Turks: A Forgotten History of Europe is an ambitious and deeply rewarding work. Spanning over a thousand years, it traces how the categories of "German" and "Turk" have been repeatedly defined, redefined, instrumentalised, and projected by different political actors across different centuries.
What makes this book exceptional is its central methodology: Ihrig is less interested in "what the relationship actually was" than in "how it was narrated, imagined, and used." He shows that narratives about Germans and Turks — whether as allies, enemies, or mirror images of each other — were never neutral descriptions of reality, but active tools for constructing reality.
The book covers a breathtaking range of historical episodes: from medieval Crusaders and Ottoman expansion, to Bismarck's cynical "ulcer strategy," to Wilhelm II's personal diplomacy with Abdul Hamid II (and his deliberate silence on the Armenian massacres), to the Nazis' admiration of Atatürk as a "role model," to the post-war guestworker experience and the long struggle of Turkish-origin Germans for recognition.
Ihrig's most powerful insight is that "othering" is not a fixed process — it can be reversed, redirected, and redefined. In the late German Empire, Turks were seen as "the Germans of the Orient"; in the Nazi period, they were admired as pioneers of national revival; in the post-war decades, they became the quintessential "guest workers" — needed but never fully welcomed. This fluidity of identity, Ihrig argues, is not a bug but a feature of how power operates through narrative.
The book is also a quiet warning for contemporary Europe. The same mechanisms that shaped German-Turkish relations over the centuries — the instrumentalisation of identity, the construction of the "other," the selective granting and revoking of the "European" label — are still at work today.
If you are interested in European history, migration, identity politics, or simply how narratives shape our world, this book is essential reading. It is thoroughly researched, elegantly written, and intellectually honest. Highly recommended.
Stefan Ihrig's Germans and Turks: A Forgotten History of Europe is an ambitious and deeply rewarding work. Spanning over a thousand years, it traces how the categories of "German" and "Turk" have been repeatedly defined, redefined, instrumentalised, and projected by different political actors across different centuries.
What makes this book exceptional is its central methodology: Ihrig is less interested in "what the relationship actually was" than in "how it was narrated, imagined, and used." He shows that narratives about Germans and Turks — whether as allies, enemies, or mirror images of each other — were never neutral descriptions of reality, but active tools for constructing reality.
The book covers a breathtaking range of historical episodes: from medieval Crusaders and Ottoman expansion, to Bismarck's cynical "ulcer strategy," to Wilhelm II's personal diplomacy with Abdul Hamid II (and his deliberate silence on the Armenian massacres), to the Nazis' admiration of Atatürk as a "role model," to the post-war guestworker experience and the long struggle of Turkish-origin Germans for recognition.
Ihrig's most powerful insight is that "othering" is not a fixed process — it can be reversed, redirected, and redefined. In the late German Empire, Turks were seen as "the Germans of the Orient"; in the Nazi period, they were admired as pioneers of national revival; in the post-war decades, they became the quintessential "guest workers" — needed but never fully welcomed. This fluidity of identity, Ihrig argues, is not a bug but a feature of how power operates through narrative.
The book is also a quiet warning for contemporary Europe. The same mechanisms that shaped German-Turkish relations over the centuries — the instrumentalisation of identity, the construction of the "other," the selective granting and revoking of the "European" label — are still at work today.
If you are interested in European history, migration, identity politics, or simply how narratives shape our world, this book is essential reading. It is thoroughly researched, elegantly written, and intellectually honest. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy
A fascinating reading - the story of the relationship between two nations, filled not only with dates and historical events (though these are certainly included), but also with stories of real people, an analysis of why things happened the way they did, humour (sometimes quite ironic) and depth.
At first, I’d planned to read only the third part, covering the period after the Second World War, which interests me the most. I started reading and very quickly realised that I wanted to read the whole book, which I ended up doing with great pleasure and interest.
At first, I’d planned to read only the third part, covering the period after the Second World War, which interests me the most. I started reading and very quickly realised that I wanted to read the whole book, which I ended up doing with great pleasure and interest.
Review of advance copy
A true eye-opener about an unknown historical relationship between Germany and Turkey. This shared history spans a thousand years, making it an entire universe of its own. It is rich in detail and thorough, much like Stefan Ihrig's previous books, which I have also read and recommend. I particularly enjoyed the section regarding their relationship during Bismarck's time. I found the book extremely fascinating and highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book left a very positive impression on me because of its deep and unconventional approach to the history of German-Turkish relations. What I found particularly interesting is the author’s rejection of historical stereotypes. The book demonstrates that the perception of the “Other” is not fixed, but is shaped by political and social circumstances. Overall, the text combines scholarly depth with an engaging style and encourages the reader to reconsider familiar historical narratives.
July 7, 2026
A fascinating and remarkably well-researched book. I finished it knowing that I'll come back to it many times in the future. Rich in sources, balanced in its arguments, and an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the long history of German-Turkish relations. It challenges conventional narratives while remaining accessible and engaging throughout.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews