Sitara Thalia Ambrosio

Photojournalist and Visual Storyteller.

Taz die Tageszeitung: A room in the Nazi neighborhood.

Follow Hire

Focus: Documentary, Multimedia, News, Photography, Foreign, International News, Freelance, Humanitarian, Life, Impact, Assignments, Human Rights, Multimedia Journalist, Magazine, Editorial, Publications, Newspapers, Storyteller, Climate, News Reporter, Visual Editor, Political Journalism, Digital Journalism, Print Journalism, War, Environmental Stories, International Stories, Digital Media, Portrait Photography, Social Justice, Reportage, Visual Journalist, Visual Storyteller

Clients: Die Zeit , Brand eins, NZZ am Sonntag , WOZ die Wochenzeitung , RND

Portrait of Fatima Maged, 28 ye... in hospital with a concussion.

Portrait of Fatima Maged, 28 years old. She is the chairwoman of the Izda association [nternational Center for Democracy and Action e.V.] She fled to Chemnitz from Lebanon with her family in 1998. Internationally, the city found its place on the world stage in 2018 with the most serious right-wing extremist riots and manhunts for people read as "foreign". Fatima Magedd's brother was himself chased during the riots, fell and ended up in hospital with a concussion.

"The life of people of different origins in Chemnitz is one of coexistence, not togetherness. But there is a small seed of hope that must not be allowed to dry up".

Fatima Maged, 28, chairwoman of the izda association,

came to chemnitz from Lebanon in 1998.

The group around the IZDA decid...han a racist cliché.

The group around the IZDA decided that something had to change. "We want to be represented in the media and in politics, with our needs. That is not the case. It has to be created," says Maged. That is why they have created a space by and for migrants. The area around the center is considered a problem district. Wrongly so: Sonnenberg is not particularly conspicuous in the crime statistics, but is in the middle of the pack. In fact, there are many people without a job living in the district. What is also special here is the proportion of migrants, which is probably where the attribution of "particularly criminal" comes from - and is nothing more than a racist cliché.

Fatima Maged is out and about i...tore around the corner to Izda.

Fatima Maged is out and about in the Sonnenberg district with Ahmed Al Ahmed [left] and Basil Hawa [right]. Here, where militant neo-Nazis wanted to declare a supposed "Nazi district" a few years ago, many migrants now run their stores. They bring food from an Arab grocery store around the corner to Izda.

Fatima Maged is also visibly ha...;nbsp;opening ceremony of Izda.

Fatima Maged is also visibly happy about the exuberance on the opening ceremony of Izda.

Racist attacks do in fact occur time and again in Chemnitz. Those affected say that they are regularly subjected to hostility in everyday life. This ranges from insults to physical attacks. The RAA Saxony advice center for victims of right-wing violence collects the acts in a chronicle. Over 61 such incidents have been documented for Chemnitz in the past year, and 387 since the chronicle began.

The Freie Sachsen walk through ...the wind at the demonstrations.

The Freie Sachsen walk through Chemnitz city center every Monday as a so-called Monday walk. [The Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the micro-party "Freie Sachsen", founded in 2021 and based in Chemnitz, as a "group of neo-National Socialists, NPD functionaries and other scene members or sympathizers"]. Russian flags are also waving in the wind at the demonstrations.

A smearing with the words &... 387 since the chronicle began.

A smearing with the words "Foreigners out", which has since been crossed out, burns on a house wall in the Sonneberg district of Chemnitz. Racist attacks do in fact occur time and again in Chemnitz. Those affected say that they are regularly subjected to hostility in everyday life. This ranges from insults to physical attacks. The RAA Saxony advice center for victims of right-wing violence collects the acts in a chronicle. Over 61 such incidents have been documented for Chemnitz in the past year, and 387 since the chronicle began.

"I think a big problem is that right-wing violence, but above all the presence of right-wing or extreme right-wing actors, is accepted. Then the free Saxons run around and that's just the way it is, they wouldn't do anything. And that leads to precisely these actors, who also carry out violence, feeling safer and safer."

Left-wing politician Carolin Juler. [Die Linke]

Portrait of the left-wing politician Carolin Juler. [Die Linke]

The "Al Arabi&quot... migrants now run their stores.

The "Al Arabi" supermarket is located in the Sonnenberg district, not far from the center of Izda. Here, where militant neo-Nazis wanted to declare a supposed "Nazi district" a few years ago, many migrants now run their stores.

The Annaberger Straße...ported on the case at the time.

The Annaberger Straße refugee shelter in Chemnitz. Residents repeatedly report poor conditions in the facility. In 2022, refugee Bilal Jaffal was found dead in the accommodation. The taz reported on the case at the time.

Dania Yabroudi gets ready for t...in the future counseling room.

Dania Yabroudi gets ready for the opening ceremony of the Izda [International Center for Democracy and Action] in the future counseling room.

"I've never experienced a party like this in Chemnitz," says 20-year-old Dania Yabroboudi, beaming. She hadn't noticed any difference between people with a migration background and Germans. The atmosphere and the music took her straight back to her home country of Syria. "To our happy life," says Yabroudi. "I thought: How nice it is that I'm experiencing something like this here."

Photographed for Taz die Tageszeitung written by Michael Trammer.

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL

LOVE

Thumbnail of Portrait of Fatima Maged, 28 yea_p in hospital with a concussion.

Thumbnail of The group around the IZDA decide_than a racist cliché.

Thumbnail of Fatima Maged is out and about in_store around the corner to Izda.

Thumbnail of Fatima Maged is also visibly hap_p;nbsp;opening ceremony of Izda.

Thumbnail of The Freie Sachsen walk through C_ the wind at the demonstrations.

Thumbnail of A smearing with the words &q_d 387 since the chronicle began.

Thumbnail of Portrait of the left-wing politician Carolin Juler. [Die Linke]

Thumbnail of The "Al Arabi"_y migrants now run their stores.

Thumbnail of The Annaberger Straße _eported on the case at the time.

Thumbnail of Dania Yabroudi gets ready for th_ in the future counseling room.

Thumbnail of Photographed for Taz die Tageszeitung written by Michael Trammer.

Public Project

Taz die Tageszeitung: A room in the Nazi neighborhood.

Copyright Sitara Thalia Ambrosio 2024

Updated Mar 2024

Young people with and without a history of migration are opening the "International Center for Democracy and Action" in Chemnitz at the beginning of March. Between racist attacks and organized neo-Nazis, they offer a space for different communities to network. Free language courses and legal advice are now available in a store at Gießerstraße 36 in the Sonnenberg district. Lectures, evening events and women's meetings are also planned for the future. Fatima Maged is the chairwoman of the association and has been working with an international team to set up the "IZDA" for a year and a half. "We want our needs to be represented in the media and in politics. This is not a given and must be created," says Maged.
→ The Story - written by Michael Trammer.

Internationally, the city of Chemnitz gained a place on the world stage in 2018 with serious right-wing extremist riots and manhunts for people perceived as "foreign". Magedd's German-born brother was hunted himself in 2018, fell and ended up in hospital with a concussion. For those affected, their families and all those affected by racism and right-wing violence, the riots continue to have an impact to this day. The same applies to the sense of power of the extreme right- wing perpetrators, who can be neighbors, colleagues or passers-by on the street.

In fact, racist attacks occur again and again in Chemnitz. The city was chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2025 because of the way it dealt with the right-wing extremist riots during the bid. However, those affected say that they are regularly subjected to racist hostility in everyday life. This ranges from subtle glances and insults to physical attacks. Week after week, the right-wing extremist "Freie Sachsen" march through the city. The scene is well networked. State and local elections will be held in Saxony in 2024. The right-wing extremists can expect success. It is still unclear how strong they will be and whether the AfD could even be part of a possible coalition.

The group around the IZDA decided after numerous experiences of its own: Something has to change about the situation in Chemnitz. The IZDA team has high hopes for the women's meetings that will take place regularly in the future. Because there is a lack of spaces in Chemnitz, especially for migrant women. "I hope that the women will trust us," says 20-year-old student Dania Yabroudi, who is also involved in the association.

Sitara Thalia Ambrosio

Sep 28, 2022

Sign-up for
For more access