The work presents, through three case studies, how a closer examination of the topic of the Orient can promote intercultural education. It focuses on three exemplary examples for the reception of the Orient in German children's and youth literature: the children's editions of 'One Thousand and One Nights', Karl May's 'Orient Cycle', and migrant literature. The three case studies not only examine ethnocentric or Eurocentric ways of perceiving the Other (exoticism and self-aggrandizement) but also explore structural aspects that can serve as starting points for intercultural education. This also highlights the didactic relevance of the three case studies. Engaging with the image of the Orient presented in each case study aims to dismantle stereotypical and prejudiced ways of perceiving the Orient in favor of a nuanced and contemporary self- and other-perception.