German-Czech historical narratives explore identity and displacement

Cultural works exploring the complex historical ties and identity conflicts between Germans and Czechs are gaining attention, particularly in connection with the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Alice Horáčková’s novel ‘Geteiltes Haus’ examines the lives of two friends in the Giant Mountains whose connection is severed by war and nationalism. The story follows Anežka, a woman who moves to Bavaria but remains a stranger in Germany, and Zdenka, who stays in Benetzko, highlighting the loss of home and the struggle for belonging across borders.

Additionally, the historical drama ‘Gerta and the World on the Brink,’ based on Kateřina Tučková’s bestseller, is being premiered on ARTE. The two-part series depicts the life of Gerta, a woman born to a German father and a Czech mother in occupied Brno during World War II. The narrative follows her through the trauma of the war and her subsequent struggles as a binationally identified woman in post-war society and socialist Czechoslovakia.