The role of sports in integration and the construction of collective memory: The case of Türkiyemspor Berlin

This study examines the role of sports in the integration process and the construction of collective memory, with a focus on a football club whose origins are rooted in a migration movement. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and participant observation with players, administrators, family members, supporters, and public officials affiliated with the women's and men's teams of Türkiyemspor Berlin, the research investigates both the limits of football's integrative effects and its contributions to collective memory among migrant and minority communities. The findings indicate that migrants from Turkey to Berlin engage with the host society and other migrant groups through sports while preserving their traditional cultural practices, language, and modes of communication. Moreover, the study reveals that Turkish migrants maintain a strong sense of belonging and cultural identity connected to their country of origin. It further demonstrates that sports—particularly football—contribute to the construction of collective memory through physical spaces and social networks, with the club's facilities serving as sites of memory for migrant communities. In this regard, the study contributes to a more concrete understanding of the relationship between sports participation, integration, collective memory, gender, and multiculturalism; at the same time, it encompasses debates that inform future interdisciplinary studies to be carried out within the framework of football, integration, and collective memory.