Jungfrungatan 62I

Description

“Our escape turned out to be comparatively fortunate, there were much, much worse fates. And we were very happy about that. So do not expect any horror stories.”

In my 15-minute film, Eva and Dieter, my grandfather’s siblings, talk about their escape from Silesia to Würzburg in the winter of 1945. They vividly describe their thoughts on a time full of ruptures, aimlessness, and renewed confidence.

At -21 degrees, the family with six children sets off from Heydebreck because the Red Army is approaching. Three months in Atzbach are marked by hunger, air raids, and makeshift accommodation. Yet, despite everything they experienced, one thing becomes clear: the resilient power of solidarity and community allows us to remember the good things as well. For me, this project became conversations about losing and finding belonging, and the question of who we are when our home is taken from us forever. My approach: calm, close images and voices as carriers of memory.