Re-storying a past that lies between us
An exploration of the legacies of German-Russian family histories in the Soviet Union
Author: Christina Pauls
The journey of this book starts with irritations about belonging, silenced family histories and imposed changes of names. Setting sail, Christina Pauls explores narratives of second generation German-Russians living in Germany. She wants to understand how family histories in the Soviet Union still affect the descendants of minorities today. From the shores of assumptions of collective traumatization, the route unfolds through the lenses of temporality, unsayability and victimization. Through the storms of legacies of transgenerational traumatization Christina Pauls explores, together with six research partners, ways of re-storying violences of the past within an extended present. Eventually, at the horizon we can forefeel a destination where it becomes more comfortable to sit with these family histories and share a cup of tea while listening to them.