Event as part of the 31st Schwerin Literature Festival
From Ankershagen to the World: When young Heinrich first heard about the *Iliad* in his hometown in Mecklenburg, he had no idea that this book would have a decisive influence on his life. Yet the pastor’s son, who escapes his father’s beatings by losing himself in daydreams, would one day become the world-famous Heinrich Schliemann, the discoverer of the presumed site of Troy and the founder of modern archaeology. As a merchant who traveled frequently, his journey took him from Amsterdam via Saint Petersburg, Sacramento, and Panama all the way to Greece, where Schliemann embarked on a feverish search for the palace of Odysseus. He always finds solace in his exchanges with his childhood friend and great love, Minna Meincke—who has married another man, yet with whom he remains closely connected despite the many kilometers separating them.
With breakneck pace and plenty of wit, Gregor Sander traces the eventful life of the extraordinary figure Heinrich Schliemann. A rich, sensual, and suspenseful novel about searching and finding.
Gregor Sander, born in 1968 in Schwerin, lives in Berlin as a freelance author. He has received numerous awards for his novels and short stories. His debut novel, *Abwesend*, was nominated for the German Book Prize, and his novel *Was gewesen wäre* was adapted into a film featuring a star-studded cast. His most recent novel, *Lenin auf Schalke*, was published by Penguin.
Moderator: Marion Brasch, journalist and writer
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Wichernsaal, Apothekerstraße 48 / Körnerstraße 7 (entrance via the courtyard)
Admission
Advance sales and box office: €15.00 (plus ticket fee)
Click here for TICKETS
Organizer
, Cultural Office of the State Capital Schwerin
