How can history be told in such a way that it becomes audible? The Rostock author Ernst Pradel explores this question in his late literary debut and takes his audience on a journey through time and origin. On January 18, 2026, Pradel will read from his work at 3 p.m. in the Vineta Bürgerhaus Barth.
In precise, often seemingly small scenes, the author reconstructs the paths his family has taken since the 1930s: from Silesia to imperial Austria to Mecklenburg, and finally to a united Germany on the Warnow. The texts show how great historical lines are reflected in everyday events and how private destinies are shaped by political upheavals.
Pradel's narrative is characterized by empathy and attention to those people whose stories are rarely the focus of attention. His book invites an intergenerational conversation about origins, homeland and the culture of remembrance and broadens the view "to where we come from: to our north-east German homeland and further east".
