On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell—and with it, an entire era vanished into history. But what truly came to an end, and what has been concealed?

Gabriele Gysi looks back at East Germany not to romanticize the past, but to seek justice in memory. Through reflective essays, personal recollections, and political observations, she raises critical questions: Why was there no dignified farewell to a vanished nation? What does this say about Germany after reunification? Moving between the worlds of Antigone and Shakespeare’s global stage, she dissects the performances of power, media, and morality. Where has the hope for peace gone—the hope that once connected the two Germanys in the postwar years? And what does it mean when the past is reduced to a mere foil for hostility?

A passionate yet clear-eyed work on memory, responsibility—and the unresolved questions of Germany.

Gabriele Gysi is an actress, director, and author. She was born in Berlin in 1946 as the daughter of communist Jewish publishers Klaus and Irene Gysi. She attended the Berlin State School of Acting and subsequently was engaged at the Berlin Volksbühne. In 1984, she left the GDR and moved to a position at the Bochum City Theater. From 1990, she lived in Cologne. After serving as the acting director at the Rostock Volkstheater and undertaking numerous directing roles at various theaters and drama schools between Bern and Lübeck, she returned to the Volksbühne in 2006 as the assistant to the artistic director, later becoming the chief dramaturge. Since 2010, she has been living and working as a freelance artist in Berlin.