Blog post - 23. Oct 2025

Another reading as part of the November Days took place this time in the Old Gasometer – a special evening, one that began quietly and lingered long afterwards. The format of the event itself creates an impressive setting: the November Days are a time of remembrance, of pausing to reflect on ruptures and new beginnings. Here, people talk about Kristallnacht, National Socialism, the peaceful revolution, reunification, the 1990s – and the social tensions that are still palpable today. In this context, Dr Tobias J. Knoblich’s reading was a perfect fit: his book ‘Osten als Passage. Essays’ (The East as a Passage: Essays) deals precisely with such transitions – between past and present, between East and West, between private experience and collective history.

Knoblich, born in Zwickau in 1971, is a cultural scientist, author and now State Secretary in the Thuringian Ministry for Digital Affairs and Infrastructure. After studying cultural studies and European ethnology in Berlin, he spent many years exploring questions of identity, memory and social cohesion – particularly from an East German perspective. In his collection of essays, he combines personal experiences with cultural-political reflections, creating a multi-layered picture of what it means to be ‘Eastern’ without resorting to clichés or nostalgia.

The evening began quietly, with depth – and developed into an impressive reading. Knoblich didn’t just read aloud, he told stories: about his family, his childhood and youth here in Zwickau. He spoke of his grandfather and grandmother, of an uncle whose life ended tragically – stories that made it clear how closely the private and the contemporary are interwoven.

Particularly impressive were the small, almost casual scenes that immediately transported the audience to a bygone era: the bus driver in the Ikarus, the bockwurst at the Planitz lido. These were images full of life, without melancholy – stories of people who were searching for their place, moving forward, pursuing their goals, even as the world around them was constantly changing.

Between these cheerful and warm moments, there were always thoughtful tones: How does our origin shape our thinking? How do we tell our story – and who actually listens? Knoblich spoke about the period of transition, about new beginnings and irritation, about the attempt to find one’s way in a new system that promised unity but often made inequality tangible. But instead of making accusations, he spoke with quiet persistence about people who did not give up – about a generation that learned to reinterpret its own history.

As the evening drew to a close, a special calm remained in the room. Many guests stayed behind to buy the book, to continue talking or simply to sit for a few more minutes. Knoblich answered questions about the past, identity and belonging with a clear but always empathetic gaze. He spoke with guests, friends and companions – openly, warmly, on equal terms.

One visitor summed up the evening aptly:

‘I went home with the feeling of having experienced something very real – not a grand political speech, but a deeply personal narrative that made our collective history tangible.’

‘Osten als Passage’ (The East as a Passage) – this is not only the title of the book, but also an attitude: to understand that origin is not a place, but movement. That memory does not mean standing still, but moving on. And that identity must be retold again and again – quietly, humanly, connected to those who came before us.