‘Jewish Weißensee’ – Jewish history and stories in contemporary literature. Reading and discussion with Marina Frenk, Slata Roschal, Britta Wauer and Alexander Estis

Many cultural initiatives focusing on Jewish life have a global outlook. Artists of Jewish origin are often asked about historically complex crises; ideally, they are expected to resolve the Middle East conflict in just a few sentences. This evening aims to contrast this focus and explore more regional connections in the work of Jewish and non-Jewish authors. Weißensee serves as an example for other regional centres of Jewish life.

Marina Frenk, Slata Roschal and Britta Wauer will take part in the discussion and read from their works. In addition, connections with other art forms, such as film and music, will be highlighted. Alexander Estis will moderate the evening.

Britta Wauer, who grew up on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin-Mitte, is an author and director. The Grimme Prize winner produces documentary films for cinema, exhibitions and digital media. Her films, such as *Im Himmel, unter der Erde*, *Die Rapoports* and *Rabbi Wolff*, have won numerous awards. In 2005, she founded the production company Britzka Film. From 2020 to 2023, she taught at Wismar University of Applied Sciences as a professor of ‘Time-based Media: Cinematic Narrative’. Her documentary film ‘Im Himmel, unter der Erde’ inspired her book ‘Der Jüdische Friedhof Weißensee’, which was published in 2010.

Marina Frenk is a writer, musician and actress; she was born in the Republic of Moldova in 1986 and emigrated to Germany in 1993. Her radio play ‘Jenseits der Kastanien’ was awarded the European Media Radio Prize in 2017. Her debut novel, ‘Ewig her und gar nicht wahr’, was published in 2020. In 2024, her essay ‘Ein Versuch sich zu verabschieden’ was published in the anthology ‘Wir schon wieder – 16 jüdische Erzählungen’ by Rowohlt. She is a member of several music collectives that explore Jewish themes. She works in various theatres, as well as in film and radio.

Slata Roschal, born in Saint Petersburg in 1992, is a writer. She has received numerous grants and awards, including the Free State of Bavaria’s Art Promotion Prize and the BücherFrauen Prize. Her translations of poetry from Russian, as well as articles and reviews, have appeared in publications including the *FAZ*, *SZ* and *ND*; most recently the poetry collection *I Need a Firearm Licence, a New Bitter Perfume, a House Where Nobody Knows Me* (2025) and the novel *It Is the Lightness That Distinguishes the Gentleman at the Table from the Cleaning Lady* (2026).

Alexander Estis, born in 1986 in Moscow into a Jewish family of artists, is a writer. After completing his studies, he taught German language and literature at various universities. He has been living in Switzerland since 2016. He writes for publications including *ZEIT*, *SZ* and *FAZ*. His most recent collection, *In the Beginning Was Schmonzes: Jewish Satires*, was published by SATYR. He has received numerous awards, including the Kurt Tucholsky Prize.