5 Books That Will Open Your Eyes To Life Behind The Berlin Wall

With the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall just around the corner, there’s no better time to do a bit of reflecting about what this divisive structure meant for the city and the people who lived there. Here are five utterly captivating books that will open your eyes to life behind the Berlin Wall.

The Wall Jumper by Peter Schneider

Peter Schneider’s The Wall Jumper was written in 1982, a full seven years before the wall came down. The book captures the reality of life behind the wall, as people work to survive under the oppressive system with no end in sight. The story is told from the standpoint of an anonymous narrator who is able to cross back and forth between East and West. Each of the characters we encounter from his elusive perspective illustrate the many different ways that the Wall affected citizens of the GDR and beyond. Some quite literally hop the Wall more than once throughout the duration of the novel, while others are Wall jumpers in more figurative, albeit subversive ways.

The Sleep of the Righteous by Wolfgang Hilbig

What Remains by Christa Wolf

Christa Wolf is undoubtedly one of the most iconic German authors writing behind the Wall. While she has garnered many critiques on both sides of the political spectrum over the years for her work, there is no doubting that she brings an invaluable perspective to the literary world about the lives and changing mentalities of those living in the GDR. What Remains is a novella by Wolf that was originally written in 1979, but it wasn’t published until after the fall of the Wall in 1990. It is about a woman who is living under Stasi supervision and the psychological impacts of such an arrangement. Nearly every aspect of the protagonist’s life must be altered.

Germany to Germany by Günter Grass

Günter Grass is a Nobel Prize-winning German author who predominantly wrote during Germany’s post-war era. Germany to Germany is his personal diary chronicling his travels throughout reunified Germany in the months that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. It offers an important historical account, from the perspective of a native German, about the aftermath of reuniting the country after it was divided for decades. More than simply taking on the role of passive observer, Grass engages with citizens and politicians who had been living and working on either side of the Wall, in addition to giving his own speeches and accounts.

Traveling On One Leg by Herta Müller

Nobel Prize-winning author Herta Müller’s Traveling On One Leg was released in the momentous year of 1989. Its protagonist is Irene, a Romanian woman who had recently immigrated to West Germany in the 1980s. Through her tumultuous relationships with three successive men, we are offered the chance to explore her experiences with forming identity, grappling with past trauma, and her reconciliation with the role that her concept of ‘homeland’ plays in her life. The book parallels some of Müller’s own experiences with emigrating from Romania to Germany.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.