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Book premiere

Journalist Franziska Grillmeier
moved to the Greek island of Lesvos in 2018, where Europe's largest
refugee camp was temporarily located.


In her book, she also takes a look at the events that don't make the headlines, delves deep into the reality of the lives of the people who fled and shows how they have to face renewed traumatisation after arriving in Europe.

Grillmeier moves around Moria, the port city, in the north of the island and travels to other European border places where the system of exclusion works in a similar way. The focus of the book is on the refugees, who have their say in many interviews and whose lives are told.

The author shows what camp life can do to a person - and at the same time reflects on how island life affects them: While Grillmeier, as an observer, is free to come and go, the narrative of open Europe ends there for the refugees. The criminalisation of humanitarian aid, the dismantling of press freedom, the overburdening of the island's inhabitants and the cynicism of politics in Brussels and Athens also play a central role. Thus, through her quiet yet haunting encounters, Grillmeier paints a harrowing picture of human rights violations on the fringes of the European Union.

Moderation: Natascha Freundel, rbbKultur

Language: German

Free admission.


An event in cooperation with the publishing house C.H.Beck and rbbKultur.

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Additional information
Free Admission
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Dates
March 2023
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