Reading with Jana Hensel
In her new book, bestselling author Jana Hensel tells the story of the end of a great dream. For what began over 35 years ago as the dawn of a new era is now being called into question by more and more East Germans and thus threatens to come to an end—democracy in East Germany.
With keen insight, Hensel describes the long shift to the right—a journey that for many East Germans once began on the left—through a reunified Federal Republic that is currently mired in the deepest crisis of its history.
She does not shy away from hard truths and does not conform to common narratives about the East. She takes us on a journey at the end of which she hopes to find an explanation for how it came to be that democracy is no longer an option for many East Germans.
Jana Hensel, born in 1976 and raised in Leipzig, became known in 2002 for her portrait of a young East German generation, *Zonenkinder*. Since then, she has worked as a journalist and published numerous books. She was awarded the Theodor Wolff Prize for her work and honored as Journalist of the Year for her reporting on East Germany.
Moderator: Gitta Lindemann
Admission: €13.00 in advance, €15.00 at the door (Advance ticket sales begin August 17, 2026, at the City Library, Klöresgang 3)
