About
Research on institutional racism, migration and urban politics
Çağan Varol is a social scientist based in Cologne. His work focuses on institutional racism, migration politics, urban politics and memory politics, and he describes himself as a critical racism researcher. A central case in his research is Cologne’s Keupstraße: how the street, and migration more broadly, came to be framed as a problem, the NSU nail-bomb attack of 2004, and how that attack is remembered.
He studied law at the University of Cologne and passed the Second State Examination in law. He then completed a B.A. in social sciences (2015) and an M.A. in political science (2018) at the University of Cologne. His doctoral research was supported by a scholarship from the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung. In June 2026 he defended his dissertation, “Negotiation Zones of a Racialised Topography – The Problematisation of Migration in Cologne’s Keupstraße and the Materialisation of Entrepreneurial Spatial and Urban Strategies”, at Hochschule München. The dissertation was completed within the PZSGT, a joint doctoral centre of OTH Regensburg, Hochschule München and TH Nürnberg, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Gabriele Fischer (Hochschule München) and Prof. Dr. Clarissa Rudolph (OTH Regensburg). It was the first doctorate completed at the centre. In December 2026 his study “Rassifizierte Topographien. Über die Problematisierung von Migration im städtischen Raum” is due to appear in the Urban Studies series at transcript.
During his studies he was a research assistant at the University of Cologne: from 2014 to 2016 at the Institute of Political Theory and History of Ideas, and from 2015 to 2017 at the Chair of Comparative Politics in the DFG-funded project “Decentralization and Electoral Geographies”. He was a research associate in the project “amal” on the effects of far-right and racist violence at TH Köln (2021–2022) and at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology/European Ethnology at the University of Göttingen (2023). In Göttingen he worked on an expert report for a nationwide NSU documentation centre; among other things, he was responsible for bringing in the perspectives of those affected by the attacks. The report was published in the annex to the feasibility study issued by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) in 2024.
His academic writing has appeared in the journals Widersprüche and Swiss Political Science Review and in edited volumes published by Springer VS, Beltz Juventa, Unrast, Edition Nautilus and PapyRossa. He has also written for analyse & kritik, kritisch-lesen.de and re:volt magazine. He has presented his research at conferences, including the 2025 conference “Umkämpftes Erinnern in der postmigrantischen Gesellschaft” held by two sections of the German Sociological Association at Hochschule München.
Alongside his research, he followed and documented the sessions of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament’s NSU inquiry committee from 2015 to 2017. He also observed the trial concerning the shooting in Cologne-Porz.
Education
Doctorate, Social sciences
Hochschule München, Faculty of Applied Social Sciences / PZSGT
Dissertation: Verhandlungszonen einer rassifizierten Topographie – Die Problematisierung der Migration in der Kölner Keupstraße und die Materialisierung unternehmerischer Raum- und Stadtstrategien. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Gabriele Fischer (Hochschule München) and Prof. Dr. Clarissa Rudolph (OTH Regensburg); chair of the examination committee: Prof. Dr. Ralph-Miklas Dobler (Hochschule München). Oral examination on 11 June 2026; first doctorate completed at the PZSGT, the joint doctoral centre of OTH Regensburg, Hochschule München and TH Nürnberg. Funded by a Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung scholarship.
M.A., Political science
Universität zu Köln, Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences
B.A., Social sciences
Universität zu Köln, Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences
Second State Examination, Law
Universität zu Köln, Faculty of Law / Oberlandesgericht Köln (Higher Regional Court)
Studied law and qualified as a fully qualified lawyer (Volljurist) by passing the Second State Examination.
Positions
Research and funding
Research associate
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Institute of Cultural Anthropology/European Ethnology
Project “Expertise zum bundesweiten NSU Dokumentationszentrum/Erinnerungsort”, funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and led by Prof. Sabine Hess. His responsibilities included bringing in the demands and perspectives of those affected by the racist attacks.
Research associate
TH Köln, Applied Social Sciences – Diversity and Migration
Project “amal – Auswirkungen extrem rechter und rassistischer Gewalt auf das Alltagsleben von Menschen mit Migrationsgeschichte und BPoC in NRW” (project term 1 December 2020 to 31 May 2023; CoRE-NRW; funded by the NRW science ministry; led by Profs. Schahrzad Farrokhzad and Birgit Jagusch).
Doctoral scholarship holder
Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, Doctoral funding programme
Doctoral scholarship supporting his dissertation research.
Research assistant, Comparative Politics
Universität zu Köln, Chair of Comparative Politics, DFG project “Decentralization and Electoral Geographies” (DEG)
Worked on the DFG-funded project “Decentralization and Electoral Geographies” led by Prof. André Kaiser; credited with coding Kurdish party manifestos and supplying case material. Co-author of the 2016 Swiss Political Science Review article from the project.
Research assistant, Political Theory and History of Ideas
Universität zu Köln, Institute of Political Theory and History of Ideas
Research assistant during his studies in social sciences and political science at the University of Cologne.
Timeline
- Education
- Positions
- Publications
- Writing
- Memory work & observation
- Talks & media
2026, 7 entries
Education: Doctorate (Social sciences)
3 publications and 3 media items
Publication: Rassifizierte Topographien. Über die Problematisierung von Migration im städtischen Raum
Talk or media item: Wie sich die Kölner Keupstraße innerhalb 50 Jahren verändert hat (external)
Talk or media item: Erste eigenständige Promotionen am PZSGT (external)
Talk or media item: Erste eigenständige Promotion der HM (external)
Publication: Der soziale Raum des Rassismus
2025, 3 entries
2024, 8 entries
3 publications, 4 texts and 1 media item
Writing: Labore der Ausgrenzung (external)
Publication: Das Problem mit der Staatsräson. Kontinuitäten der Nicht-Aufklärung im NSU-Komplex und deren gesellschaftliche Folgen
Publication: »Ignoranz ist das andere Gesicht des Rassismus«. Gespräch mit Muhammet Ayazgün vom 14.12.2023
Writing: Die Steinmeier-Show (external)
Talk or media item: Nach dem Skandal-Video von Sylt: Der Norden grölt rassistisch (external)
Writing: »Du musst nichts gemacht haben, um als Gefahr zu gelten« (external)
2023, 7 entries
Position: Research associate
3 publications and 3 texts
2022, 6 entries
2021, 8 entries
Position: Research associate
Talk or media item: Solidarität muss Praxis werden (external)
Memory work or observation: Trial observer, trial concerning the shooting in Cologne-Porz (external)
2 publications, 2 texts and 1 media item
Talk or media item: „Man hat rein gar nichts gelernt“ (external)
Publication: Rassismuskritisches Wörterbuch
Publication: »Die dann nachmittags rumhängen…« Behördliche Schikanen und Anti-Roma-Rassismus rund um die Kölner Keupstraße
2020, 3 entries
Position: Doctoral scholarship holder
2018, 1 entry
Education: M.A. Political science
2016, 3 entries
2 publications and 1 text
2015, 3 entries
Education: B.A. Social sciences
Position: Research assistant, Comparative Politics
Memory work or observation: Observer of the NSU inquiry committee of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament (external)
2014, 1 entry
Position: Research assistant, Political Theory and History of Ideas
2010, 1 entry
Education: Second State Examination (Law)
Talks & media
Talks, panels and workshops, and interviews, news items and press quotes, newest first.
Wie sich die Kölner Keupstraße innerhalb 50 Jahren verändert hat (external)
Short Q&A in the series “Frisch promoviert” on his dissertation about how Keupstraße came to be framed as a problem over about 50 years, the methods used, what the doctorate means to him and advice for doctoral candidates.
Erste eigenständige Promotionen am PZSGT (external)
Reports that the first doctorate at the PZSGT was completed by Çağan Varol at Hochschule München on 11 June 2026.
Erste eigenständige Promotion der HM (external)
Announces the successful defence of his dissertation, the first independent doctorate of an HM doctoral candidate and the first completed doctorate at the PZSGT.
Umkämpftes Erinnern in der postmigrantischen Gesellschaft (external)
Conference report by Alia Herz-Jakoby summarising his contribution on how entrepreneurial city marketing can depoliticise activist remembrance of the 2004 NSU nail-bomb attack on Keupstraße.
Erinnerung an die Opfer des Nagelbombenanschlags auf der Keupstraße – Zwischen unternehmerischen Stadtpolitiken und der Entpolitisierung von aktivistischen Praxen (external)
Paper in Panel 2, “Gedenken im öffentlichen Raum als Praxis der Problematisierung”, at the conference of the German Sociological Association (DGS) sections “Soziale Probleme und soziale Kontrolle” and “Migration und ethnische Minderheiten”.
Nach dem Skandal-Video von Sylt: Der Norden grölt rassistisch (external)
Article by Jonas Kähler. Quoted as a racism researcher: such incidents have always been widespread and are now receiving more media attention, and the video shows that racism runs through all social classes.
Anti-migrantischer Vigilantismus: Einsichten aus dem Prozess gegen Bähner (Tatort Köln-Porz) (external)
Online talk on Zoom in which he spoke as a trial observer about the Cologne-Porz shooting case and right-wing middle-class vigilantism; also announced by the Kölner Forum gegen Rassismus und Diskriminierung.
Redlining in Kreuzberg. Von Zuzugssperren und Grenzen: eine Aktivierung (external)
Guest (listed as political scientist) in a workshop on redlining, bans on moving into certain districts and racial profiling as racist spatial policy in Berlin-Kreuzberg, moderated by Vassilis S. Tsianos.
„Man hat rein gar nichts gelernt“ (external)
Interview by Johanna Bröse in the issue “NSU – Zehn Jahre nach der Selbstenttarnung” on the Keupstraße nail bombing, the police and media treatment of the victims, the NSU tribunals, the Herkesin Meydanı initiative and institutional racism.
Solidarität muss Praxis werden (external)
Guest in an open-air discussion opening the campaign “Die Bürokratie des Bösen – Niemand muss Ausländerbehörde sein!”, on the NSU, neo-Nazis in police and domestic intelligence, Halle, Hanau and responses to racism.
Press kit
Short biographies for announcements, programmes and articles.
Çağan Varol is a social scientist based in Cologne. His work focuses on institutional racism, migration politics, urban politics and memory politics, with Cologne’s Keupstraße as a central case. After passing the Second State Examination in law, he studied social sciences and political science at the University of Cologne. In June 2026 he defended his doctoral dissertation at Hochschule München. His book Rassifizierte Topographien is due from transcript in December 2026.
Çağan Varol ist Sozialwissenschaftler in Köln. Er arbeitet zu institutionellem Rassismus, Migrationspolitik, Stadtpolitik und Erinnerungspolitik, mit der Kölner Keupstraße als zentralem Fallbeispiel. Nach dem Zweiten Juristischen Staatsexamen studierte er Sozialwissenschaften und Politikwissenschaft an der Universität zu Köln. Im Juni 2026 verteidigte er seine Dissertation an der Hochschule München. Im Dezember 2026 erscheint sein Buch „Rassifizierte Topographien“ bei transcript.