Nauryz Spring Festival – Central Asia celebrates in Berlin
The countries of Central Asia celebrated the Nauryz spring festival at the famous Schöneberg Town Hall in Berlin. We were delighted to be there.
On the 28th of March 2026, we stood in front of the historic Schöneberg Town Hall in Berlin. It was a sunny Saturday, and the countless colorful tulips were bloomed in front of the town hall, where John F. Kennedy once delivered his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech to a huge crowd of West Berliners from the balcony on the 26th of June 1963, during the division of Germany. Although Kazakhstan is the birthplace of tulips, visiting these spring flowers wasn’t our purpose. On this day, the Central Asian countries had organized the Nauryz spring festival in the town hall.
The Nauryz spring festival, which has Persian origins, traditionally marks the equinox and thus the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, which begins every year on the 21st of March. Since 2009, Nauryz has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. Furthermore, International Day of Nauryz has been celebrated annually on the 21st of March since 2010.
In the grand Willi Brandt Hall, we gathered together with the numerous guests, including many representatives of Central Asian communities as well as many Berliners. The strong presence of young people and families was particularly gratifying, lending the festival a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.
The embassies of the Central Asian countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan had also set up festively decorated booths in the hall, and their ambassadors were present at the event. The event was initiated and moderated by Kathleen Göbel of Cultur Cooperation International e.V., who guided us through the diverse program with great enthusiasm. At the opening ceremony, Matthias Vollert from Germany´s Federal Foreign Office and Deputy Mayor of Berlin-Tempelhof-Schöneberg Matthias Steuckardt addressed the audience. Both recalled the historical role of Schöneberg Town Hall, which served as the town hall of West Berlin until 1991 – a time when Germany had been divided since 1945.
In their speeches, they emphasized that shared values and traditions can unite people even in times of division. This message provided a link to the Nauryz festival itself, which is celebrated in many Central Asian countries and unites people across borders. Following their speeches, the ambassadors addressed the audience in their respective national languages. The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Onzhanov, extended a particularly warm welcome to the guests, saying: “Наурыз құтты болсын!” – “Happy Nauryz!”
After the official program, visitors were invited on a tour. At the lovingly designed booths, the embassies presented typical snacks, souvenirs, dioramas, cultural exhibits, and impressive landscape photographs. At the subsequent lunch, guests were able to try traditional dishes such as samsa, nauryz koshe, chak chak, and manti – a true culinary journey through Central Asia. Afterward, the focus shifted to music and culture: Each country introduced itself with a short tourist film showcasing its landscapes and traditions. The following musical performances were met with great enthusiasm – there was much singing and dancing, and the performances were met with enthusiastic applause.
A particular highlight for us was the performance by the ethno-folkloric ensemble Qagan from the Kazakh city of Shymkent, whose played on Kazakh traditional instruments like dombra, kobyz and drums wonderful Kazakh songs. In the afternoon, to conclude the event, guests enjoyed pilaf, a popular Central Asian rice dish. In a relaxed atmosphere, conversations continued, new connections were made, and impressions were shared.
The Nauryz Spring Festival at Schöneberg Town Hall was, in our opinion, a resounding success, and the time flew by. It once again impressively demonstrates how cultural traditions connect people and build bridges between countries and communities.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone involved who made this special festival possible.