As a German citizen of Turkish origin who has passed the official German naturalization test, renowned cabaret artist and cartoonist Muhsin Omurca has even made it into the Duden with a single word: he coined the term “biodeutsch” (“bio-German”), which was named Germany’s “Unword of the Year” in 2024. At the invitation of the Kulturgemeinde Bad Berleburg, Muhsin Omurca performed his show Der Schein türkt on the stage of the Neues CAPITOL in Bad Berleburg. It was an evening of cabaret in its purest form: articulate, witty and critical, with plenty of humor and self-irony—and at times a decidedly sharp edge. Omurca delivered cabaret far removed from cheap slapstick, illustrating his observations on the big cinema screen with his cartoons, which are also familiar to readers of major German daily newspapers.
Integration is, of course, his perennial subject. And Muhsin Omurca can draw on 30 years of experience living in Germany. One of his tips is to start getting used to things early. That is why he recommends the “cuddly Turk” to young parents, so that children can become accustomed to the idea from an early age.
“German language, difficult language.” He knows this from painful experience. It all started with the placement of “der, die, das”—the definite articles that come before nouns—which have occasionally driven him and his fellow countrymen to the brink of madness.
Donald Trump has also provided him with plenty of work as a cartoonist. There are days, Muhsin Omurca says, when a cartoon has a half-life of just a few hours. “The element of surprise with Trump keeps us on our toes.”