Hamburg
Walter Kempowski - the chronicler
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Walter Kempowski is one of north Germany's greatest writers. Apart from his novels, one of the works which has brought him great renown, is a collection of documents reflecting the reality of life during the Second World War. The title he gives to these works is "Echolot" - echo sounder - as he probes into the past.
In his house in the north German countryside, Kempowski is surrounded by thousands of letters and documents he has collected over the years. Among them are diaries, letters, photographs and postcards - most of which come from ordinary people. He bought some of them in second-hand bookshops and on market stalls, while many more are sent to him as unsolicited material. In some respects, he has become the keeper of the national memory.
His main work charts five weeks in 1943, when the tide of war was turning against the Germans in Stalingrad. Each week is represented by dozens of quotes from people from all walks of life. The book forms an intricate mosaic, with a reminder that the terrible and the banal often go side-by-side. Kempowski himself says he had always been interested in "what people tell of their lives". He explains how he first had the idea of a book based on the time of Stalingrad: "I saw something interesting happen - how a great choir of the dead found its voice, creating a great conversation about this period."
Some of the stories reflect daily life and suffering at the front, like 30-year-old Josef Zimmermann's tale: "We sat down on a crate of ammunition and talked about home. I told my comrade about Cologne and a girl I had met at the last Carnival. He took a piece of sausage from his bag and we both enjoyed a taste of home. Neither of us had any idea it would be his last meal." Other stories tell of everyday life at home in Germany. And finally, a constant underlying theme - an entry from the annals of Auschwitz: "17 January, Auschwitz-Birkenau: 2,000 Polish Jews - men, women, children - arrive. After the selection process, 255 men are put into the camp as prisoners. The remaining 1,745 people are killed in the gas chambers."
"Echolot" does not seek to allocate blame - it merely records what happened, without comment. It is for readers to understand and interpret what they read, with all its many layers and complexities.
Walter Kempowski invites guests into his house to show them his archive and discuss his work.
Contact:
Haus Kreienhoop
27404 Nartum
Tel: 0049 4288 438
Links
Kempowski news
Walter Kempowski's own personal website with insights into his work and life. In German.
Walter Kempowski
A short biography and extensive list of Walter Kempowski's work. In English.
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