A portrait of Georg Büchner Prize winner Christine Wunnicke Misfits Welcome

Sometimes a diagnosis comes as a relief; sometimes naming a disease only increases the burden. Simon Sahner takes a closer look at how the name of a disease impacts those affected.

Why do men with cancer tend to document their suffering for the public almost immediately, while women are more likely to turn to writing only after overcoming an illness? Simon Sahner examines this phenomenon and the social conditions that shape it.

Knowing how to talk appropriately to someone who is seriously ill is no easy matter. Drawing on his own experiences as a patient, Simon Sahner, explores the faux pas well-meaning family members and medical professionals can so easily make.

When the literary world gathers at Frankfurt Book Fair in October, the pressing issues of our time will take centre stage. How is contemporary German-language literature responding to these challenges? The six novels shortlisted for the 2026 German Book Prize offer a glimpse: exploring war, memory, the climate crisis, migration and visions of the future, they paint a multifaceted portrait of the world we live in.

In conversation with Romy Straßenburg, Robert Ide reflects on his personal experiences of reunification, the merging of East and West and the political uncertainty in Germany’s eastern states.

What can art reveal about a society? Ersan Mondtag talks about contradictions and certainties, how quickly we put people into categories, and what art can offer as a counterpoint to the way we see others.

On 13 August 1961, when construction of the Berlin Wall began, the lives of millions of people in Germany changed overnight. Rainer Just and Michael ‘Micha’ Synowzik recall how they experienced that day as children – and explain why they continue to share their stories to this day.


 

The Uckermark Lake District boasts gently rolling hills, glittering lakes and abundant wildlife. Historic towns such as Lychen and a lovingly restored church give visitors an opportunity to delve into cultural history while experiencing this beautiful natural environment.

“Go and fetch me a bottle of beer, otherwise I’ll go on strike here and won’t write another word,” once said former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. And he was by no means alone in feeling thirsty: Germans’ love of beer is world‑famous. Armed with this beer knowledge, you too will be able to join in the conversation on your next trip to the beer garden.