Zwischen den Zeilen der Einheit

What does it mean to have grown up as a woman in East or West Germany? Which experiences shape our understanding of love, family, motherhood and self-determination – and which perceptions persist to this day?

These questions formed the basis for the anthology *Ost*West*frau* (Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt), which combines personal stories with societal experiences. The contributing authors recount their origins and childhoods, freedom and constraints, contradictions, ruptures and encounters. This gives rise to a polyphonic range of perspectives that move beyond simplistic categorisations and reveal just how diverse women’s life paths are on both sides of the former inner-German border.

On this evening, the editor Franziska Hauser will read from the anthology alongside the author Olga Hohmann. In conversation with presenter Undine Fuchs, they will discuss the book’s creation, writing from one’s own life story, and why the exploration of East and West remains relevant today. An evening about memory and identity, about differences and similarities – and about the power of literature to bring people together in conversation.