Carolin Otto publishes a novel about Berchtesgaden after the war

Carolin Otto publishes a novel about Berchtesgaden after the war

The Bavarian literary landscape has grown: with her first novel “Berchtesgaden”, the filmmaker and screenwriter Carolin Otto, known from formats such as “Tatort” and “Polizeiruf”, is drawing attention to her work. In her book she sheds light on the complex issue of guilt and how people live with the consequences after National Socialism. The work, which was inspired by Otto during her research for the ZDF series “Lena Lorenz”, offers a deep insight into the first weeks after the war and shows how the people of Berchtesgaden move from twelve years of Nazi rule towards democracy.

“Berchtesgaden” takes place in a contemporary historical setting that begins on April 25, 1945, when the Americans bomb Obersalzberg. Interestingly, the town itself remains largely untouched, while the locals loot the villas of the Nazi greats who have fled. After the liberation by American soldiers, a military government is installed, and the book vividly describes the reactions and transformations of the population during this transitional period. In her extensive research, Otto focused primarily on the events in Berchtesgaden in the early post-war period.

A look at the characters

The novel is told from different perspectives and consists of 54 chapters. The focus is on 19-year-old Sophie, who works for the Military Government and, in her role as a translator, not only has to face German crimes, but also her own responsibility. Her involvement in the story deepens when she falls in love with a black GI who can enjoy freedom in Germany that is denied him in the USA. She also meets important historical figures such as Frank Rosenzweig, a Jewish lawyer and captain in the American army who is involved in interrogations, and Rudolf Kriss, an arrested folklorist who becomes mayor after his liberation.

The book not only addresses the challenges of the post-war period, but also takes a critical look at the depths of human behavior, denunciatory structures and the interactions between different social groups under American occupation. The power of Otto's narrative style lies in the authentic portrayal of the characters, who remain clearly defined despite changing perspectives.

Latest developments and historical contexts

“Berchtesgaden” is a captivating fictional story based on thorough research and some characters are based on real people. The novel is particularly recommended for the younger generation, who are often not sufficiently informed about this story. The topic is gaining broader relevance because historians like Jens-Christian Wagner emphasize that awareness of the Nazi era and its horrors is increasingly being lost, especially among younger people who have less contact with contemporary witnesses. The Arolsen Archives are actively working to maintain knowledge of this dark period by digitizing documents, and memorial sites also offer special seminars to research one's own family history.

The novel has 544 pages, was published by Lübbe Verlag and offers all of this for a price of 24 euros. Originally planned as a TV series, Otto decided to complete the book more quickly. With “Berchtesgaden” she not only puts a captivating story on paper, but also helps keep the memory of the horrors of National Socialism alive and raises the question of how we deal with our history. A step in the right direction, because there are many stories there that are worth telling.