Summary
Iris Hanika: The most important thing
Hans Frambach, an archivist at the Institute for Overcoming the Past, has been preoccupied with Nazi crimes for his entire working life, for which he has always felt guilt, anxiety and torment. Until recently, when he starts to wonder if his job is really the most important thing. His best—and only—friend and collaborator, Graziela, at least for a moment overcomes the question of the past by giving in to carnal passion, and for at least a moment an intimate relationship becomes the most important thing for her. As the story develops, the question arises as to exactly what role history plays in the lives of the protagonists. Can we blame everything on the Nazis? Aren't Hans and Graziela themselves responsible for their own alienation, loneliness and dissatisfaction? Iris Hanika shows how the Nazi crimes still have an impact on the Germans, while at the same time pointing out the ultimately frustrating helplessness in dealing with these crimes. This is a novel about the suffering of Germans due to the Nazi past, but also a novel about the years in which a certain sense of security has already been lost, a novel about choosing the right path in life, about loneliness and friendship.
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