[ German ]


Noël Martin was born on July 23, 1959 in St. Thomas , Jamaica . He grew up there with Godmother, as his parents had gone to work in England . In 1969, his parents brought him to Birmingham , England , where they had factory jobs.

Besides having a difficult family situation, Noël, as a black immigrant child living in a still predominately white society, experienced discrimination and prejudice. He had few options, and when he left school at sixteen he first worked in a tire-factory. Eventually he learned the plastering trade and worked his way up from a labourer to an independent tradesman with his own company.

He contracted jobs not only in Britain , many in London , but also in Spain and Holland . In 1994, then, he landed a contract in Germany . As a subcontractor, he spent one and a half years plastering in the small East German town of Mahlow . Here Noël encountered the right-wing Neo-nazis who ruined his life.

For four years after the attack, he was nursed and looked after by Jacqueline, his great love and partner of many years. They got married two days before Jacqueline died of cancer in April 2000.

In 2001, five years after the right-wing attack, Noël returned to Mahlow to lead a demonstration against racism and right-wing radicalism. At this time he initiated a youth exchange scheme between youngsters from Brandenburg and Birmingham and since then has dedicated himself to anti-racism work.



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