The Turkish term *Gececondu* literally translates to "placed overnight." It refers to informal settlements, shantytowns, or slums that emerge without official blessing—typically on the outskirts of major cities and often constructed from waste and makeshift materials. One might expect this in the Middle East, Africa, South America, or developing nations, but is such a thing possible in organized, straight-laced Germany—specifically in Berlin?

It is. However, the unique feature of the Berlin Gececondu is that it owes its existence to the division of the city and the Berlin Wall.

In 1963, Osman Kalin was part of the first wave of so-called "guest workers" who came to Germany following the German-Turkish recruitment agreement. In 1980, he moved to Berlin with his wife and six children, first to Spandau and later to Kreuzberg.…