Kültür, Chai and Halay - Mehmet Harmanci shows his Offenbach

There was great demand for Mehmet Harmanci's walking tour as part of the Offenbach Volunteer Center's "I'll show you my city" project. "We had to cancel over ten people," regret the organizers Sigrid Jakob and Katja Lenz. But it is likely to be repeated because everyone enjoyed it, especially the guide Mehmet Harmanci.
The three guests from Pfungstadt couldn't really answer whether it was the strange title or simply the format. "We were curious because we don't know Offenbach at all." They will have to come back more often, because with "I'll show you my city", participants only get to know a few selected places that are of particular value to the walking guides.

"Kültür" is not misspelled, it is the Turkish word for culture. And this is also important to Mehmet Harmanci, which is why the meeting point was the pavilion in Dreieichpark. A few years ago, he discovered the concerts in the park, which take place regularly in summer - "wonderful cultural experiences and free of charge," he enthuses. He never tires of presenting some of Offenbach's hidden advantages. "I'm of Kurdish descent, an Alevi, used to have a Turkish passport, now have a German passport and am ultimately just an Offenbacher," he sums up briefly.

Mehmet Harmanci came to Germany at the age of five, after his mother and later his father went abroad as part of the recruitment process; the three children initially stayed with an aunt. After a few years in Sachsenhausen, the parents decided to buy property in Offenbach in 1985. "That settled the issue of returning, and that's a good thing!"

From the pavilion on the way to Leibnizschule, Mehmet Harmanci pointed to a small bridge. "I used to meet a girl from Offenbach here - back then I was still from Sachsenhausen," he revealed, but nothing more than a mischievous grin. The large playground was a popular place to go when his two sons were still small and they later attended Leibnizschule.

With a view of the venerable Leibnizschule building, Mehmet Harmanci talked about his passion - the "Schülerpower" project. He had initially sought support for his son at a traditional tutoring institute. Dissatisfied with the offer, a tutoring concept was created virtually at his sister's kitchen table. "Schülerpower" includes small learning groups and parent seminars - which was very well received by the city. With the support of the youth welfare office, "Schülerpower" has now been running for ten years and currently teaches 50 children and young people from twelve nations.

The next destination for the twenty-strong group was Nicole Werth's Filmklubb in Isenburger Ring - somewhat hidden in a rear building. For Mehmet Harmanci, this is another cultural gem "that needs to be picked up and polished". In the large room with a cozy patchwork of tables, chairs, sofas and armchairs, visitors have the opportunity to experience film evenings. These start with old newsreels, Nicole Werth also showed the large cabinet with various reels and the beautiful old projector. "We were looking for a movie room until my husband José da Noiva, who has his workshop here, suggested this room. And it was immediately well received," explains Nicole Werth. Visitors purchase an annual membership and then donate for each film, and are kept informed by newsletter.

The group continued across a small playground towards Sprendlinger Landstraße. "Did you notice that we were always running in the countryside? This is my route, Isenburgring and Dreieichpark, I can really switch off here," says Mehmet Harmanci. The last stop is the Turkish Friendship Association, which was founded by German and Turkish young people in 1983 after they had so much fun on a VHS course with folklore dances. It was through dancing that Mehmet Harmanci joined the association, which now supports families and, above all, education. Student power" is also at home here. The group quietly walks past the two learning groups into the large room.

Chai, the traditional black tea from the samovar, is already waiting on the counter and Mehmet Harmanci gives a brief introduction. "The first tea you drink as a guest, the second you are part of the family." The sweet and savory snacks provided are very popular. But the tour is not over yet, the "Halay" is still missing. This is a Turkish wedding dance. Most of the participants accept the invitation to learn the first steps and soon the group is swaying back and forth in a circle. In the second round of dancing, some have also dared to wear traditional costumes and "soon we can perform together at the Mainuferfest", laughs Mehmet Harmanci.