»Wut und Wärme«

They are fighters, daughters of a Yazidi Kurdish refugee family, up-and-comers, activists, idealists. They are feisty, gentle, angry and full of vital energy. And they believe in something bigger than themselves: the "we" in times of the "I".

What do we need in times of hatred, agitation and polarization? This question is at the beginning. The Tekkals' powerful answer: sisterhood and cohesion.

In this book, the five sisters Düzen, Tezcan, Tuğba, Tülin and Tuna Tekkal, human rights activists and fighters for a better world, tell their story together for the first time - and show what our society can learn from it and how we can strengthen each other.

Values such as empathy, courage, responsibility, rebellion, joy and care have shaped their lives. They tell of childhood and origins, of ruptures and alliances, of what becomes possible when women do not keep themselves small, but make each other great.

This book is an offer: to everyone who longs for connection, orientation and clarity - whether in their private lives, at work, in politics or in society. A book that draws on family experience to create a social vision. A manifesto for a new togetherness. (Brandstätter 2026)

Düzen Tekkal, born in Hanover to a Yazidi Kurdish refugee family, is a political scientist, social entrepreneur and one of Germany's most prominent publicists and human rights activists. Shaped by everyday life in a large family with eleven siblings, she developed a political sense for justice, belonging and exclusion at an early age. Her courageous reportage on the genocide of Yazidis by ISIS in 2014 made her a prominent voice against extremism. In 2015, she and her sisters founded HÁWAR.help to offer practical support to traumatized women and girls worldwide. With the GermanDream initiative, she brings values education into schools and invites young people to engage in dialog about democracy and integration.

Tezcan Tekkal is the managing director and co-founder of the non-profit educational initiative GermanDream and the human rights organization HÁWAR.help. Together with her sisters, she is committed to raising awareness about extremism, human rights and social cohesion. As a project manager and strategist behind the scenes, she ensures that help arrives where it is most urgently needed. Her work combines organizational talent with a clear political compass - for an open and resilient society.

Tuğba Tekkal is a former Bundesliga footballer, activist and social entrepreneur. She played for 1. FC Köln in the first division, among others. The co-founder of HÁWAR.help also founded the award-winning empowerment program Scoring Girls* in 2016, which empowers girls who have experienced flight or discrimination through soccer, education and mentoring, and received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for her commitment.

Tülin Tekkal is a DJ, entertainer and activist. As the person responsible for Partnership & Network at the human rights organization HÁWAR.help and the non-profit educational initiative GermanDream, she and her team coordinate and support the organizations' events and strategic direction. In traditional and social media, where she reaches millions of people, she combines culture, comedy and music with social commitment.

Tuna Tekkal has been committed to social cohesion and political education for many years. She is a co-founder of HÁWAR.help, part of the management team, responsible for human resources and networking, among other things, and also supports the GermanDream initiative, which runs school workshops on democracy, values and diversity across Germany. Her focus is on empowerment, dialog and a living culture of remembrance that understands origin as a strength and builds bridges between young people.

Admission: 10,- / 7,- EUR ǀ Tickets at the Box Office or in advance online: https: //rausgegangen.de/locations/haus-des-buches/

Event organized by Brandstätter Verlag and the Literaturhaus Leipzig

Discounts are available for disabled persons and their accompanying person (only if listed on the disabled pass), unemployed persons, schoolchildren and students (up to 35) as well as holders of the Leipzig Pass or an honorary pass, in each case only on presentation of the pass).