Olga Horn presents a Russian-German family story about memory, freedom and the lasting impact of life under the Soviet totalitarian system. The story of a Volga German grandfather and his grandson exists in two literary versions – in Russian and German – and explores questions that reach far beyond the historical and geographical setting of the novel.

Die Mäusefurcht / Страх запаха – A Story That Stays

KLAK Verlag, 2026 FRESH Verlag, 2026

Book presentation and conversation with bilingual author Olga Horn

A Russian-German family story, personal yet universal, carried by two main characters and told through two distinct voices.

The grandfather is a Volga German. He recounts his long and eventful life in the Soviet Union. The grandson lives in present-day Germany and sets out in search of his roots and for answers.

A story about memory and the ways in which the past continues to shape our lives.

Olga Horn is a guest of Berlin.Bebelplatz, where she will talk about the origins of the two literary versions of one family story.