Hans-Dieter Grabe was eight years old when he became a Brandenburger. In the winter of 1945/46, he had to move with his parents against his will from the ruined city of Dresden, his beloved birthplace, to Cottbus. He had great difficulty getting used to Cottbus. Everything was different from Dresden and seemed to confirm what a fellow passenger on the train had said: "Cottbus - the ass of Europe." But the city became the most important one in his life. Now, the 73-year-old has visited Cottbus once again and retraced his memory. An essay about a reencounter.
Hans-Dieter Grabe was eight years old when he became a Brandenburger. In the winter of 1945/46, he had to move with his parents against his will from the ruined city of Dresden, his beloved birthplace, to Cottbus. He had great difficulty getting used to Cottbus. Everything was different from Dresden and seemed to confirm what a fellow passenger on the train had said: "Cottbus - the ass of Europe." But the city became the most important one in his life. Now, the 73-year-old has visited Cottbus once again and retraced his memory. An essay about a reencounter.