The Educational Experiences of Students from the Republic of Azerbaijan in Weimar Germany (1920-1924)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study aims to examine the educational experiences in Germany of students who were sent abroad with the objective of developing qualified human resources during the establishment of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In particular, the research seeks to reveal the educational activities and cultural interactions of students sent from Azerbaijan to Germany for higher education, as well as their contributions to the Turkic world. The scope of the study encompasses Azerbaijani students who studied in Germany between 1920 and 1924 and their educational experiences. In addition, the study addresses the sending of German colonists from Azerbaijan to Germany for educational purposes. The primary sources of the research consist of official documents, diplomatic correspondence, reports, and questionnaires administered to students, preserved in the Political Archive of the German Federal Foreign Office. Historical analysis and document analysis were employed as research methods, and archival documents were examined and compared with scholarly works concerning the period. The findings indicate that the Republic of Azerbaijan sent more than 100 students to countries such as Germany, Russia, Türkiye, and France, and that some of these students, after completing their education, actively contributed to the modernization processes of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Türkiye. Following Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, some of the Azerbaijani Turkic students chose to settle in Türkiye. It was also determined that Azerbaijani students in Berlin were closely engaged with the Turkic world’s struggle abroad and strengthened cultural cooperation through the solidarity associations they established. Furthermore, the fact that German colonists living in Azerbaijan were also sent to Germany for education demonstrates that education played a decisive role not only in political relations but also in cultural relations between the two countries. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that education served as an instrument for strengthening cultural interaction in Azerbaijan–Germany relations and that Azerbaijani students made significant contributions to addressing the issues of the Turkic world. The educational experiences in Germany of students sent abroad as a manifestation of the modernization process of the Republic of Azerbaijan have not been addressed in previous studies. The archival sources utilized in this study provide an opportunity to reassess the educational experiences of students abroad.
Source: Turcology Research
Author: Mehmet Önder Duran
Institution: Usak University
Language: English
Topic: Historical Turkish Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7213769134