Heimsuchung

This novel marked Jenny Erpenbeck's international breakthrough. The partly autobiographical stories span generations in a house by a Brandenburg lake - from 1906 to 2002. From the Weimar Republic through National Socialism and the building of the GDR to reunification, Erpenbeck weaves together the fates of individuals who, in their respective eras, sought a home on this plot of land.

Each story follows a single life, each person carrying their own distinct view of the world, shaped by the social pressures of their time. Together they form a literary narrative that casts very different lights on the ambivalent course of German history.

Jenny Erpenbeck was born in 1967 in East Berlin. Her awards include the Hans Fallada Prize (2014), the Thomas Mann Prize (2016), and the Uwe Johnson Prize (2022). In 2024 she became the first German writer to receive the International Booker Prize. She is also a recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit.