Jan Gorkow releases new book on politics and life in East Germany

Jan Gorkow, known as Monchi, the singer of the punk band Feine Sahne Fischfilet, has released a new book titled ‘Jenseits der Brandmauer’ (Beyond the Firewall). The book uses episodic storytelling to explore his life in the East German village of Jarmen, where he currently resides.

In the work, Gorkow addresses the complexities of political stances in local contexts, specifically regarding the AfD. He notes that in Jarmen, a town of approximately 2,700 residents, the AfD received 54 percent of the vote in the last state election. He describes the political ‘firewall’ as feeling like a mere ‘small wall’ at the local level, where the people discussed in political debates are his actual neighbors.

Gorkow advocates against succumbing to ‘doomsday scenarios,’ suggesting that such pessimism does not improve the world. He argues that bringing people together to take action is a way to counter populism, which he claims can drive people into depression. The book reflects on his personal evolution from a younger, angrier punk to his current perspective.