The Limits of Multiculturalism: Representations of German Identity in Feridun Zaimoglu's and Günter Senkel's Schwarze Jungfrauen

abstract:As a form of documentary literature, Feridun Zaimoglu's and Günter Senkel's Schwarze Jungfrauen introduces perspectives from Muslim German women who do not otherwise appear in the public sphere. In doing so, the text affects the public representation of German identity and challenges readers to evaluate the differences in ideology and perspective that are represented. Rather than simply acknowledging the diversity and agency of these women, the preservation of liberal values requires a differentiation between the forms of conservatism that are compatible with such values and the extremist positions that threaten them.