The couple took in the first guest worker from Turkey. The festive event marked the end of the Intercultural Week.

Christa Frenzel, First City Councillor, emphasized that Salzgitter is a multicultural city that is home to over 100 nations. "Tolerance and solidarity are firmly anchored here," said the First City Councillor and Head of Social Affairs and Education. Respect is the basis for successful and peaceful coexistence in Salzgitter. "For me, Salzgitter is characterized by its strong intercultural integration power." The city also owes this to the people who are committed to integration. Like the Tietge couple, whom Christa Frenzel thanked warmly for their commitment.

In his laudatory speech, Dincer Dinc, coordinator of the integration service for migrants of the city of Salzgitter, looked back on the couple's commitment: Christel Otto Tietge worked for SMAG in Turkey in the 1950s. He invited his colleague Muammer Koruculoglu to visit him in Germany. After the now 88-year-old had obtained a work permit, he initially took Muammer into his home and helped him get started in a foreign country. The six months turned into 27 years. In 1985, Muammer Koruculoglu returned to Turkey with his wife and daughter.

Muammer Koruculoglu died in 2004, but the friendship between the two families continues to this day. "Integration happens on a small and large scale. Quietly and loudly," said Dincer Dinc. Christel Otto Tietge and his wife Edith were pioneers of integration without the word even existing in the 1950s. "The altruistic behavior of the Tietge family was certainly not a matter of course at the time. This makes it all the more worthy of recognition," emphasized the laudator at the award ceremony. According to Dincer Dinc, the success of successful integration is a reflection of society as a whole.

The Tietge couple were touched by the surprise guests: Muammer Koruculoglu's wife Sayhan and daughter traveled from Turkey to congratulate them as well. A special encounter on the occasion of a special award.