After reading Juli Zeh's terrific novel Unterleuten I will never pass by a wind farm without wondering who acquired the rights to build it and how the land was appropriated to the project. I was interested in reading the novel - published in 2016 - since I was impressed by her later, and much shorter book Neujahr (see my review). But I was apprehensive about committing to a 650 -page novel. I needn't have been: Juli Zeh pulled me in with the first chapter and kept my interest until the last page. Juli Zeh makes the rural village of Unterleuten come alive with vivid characters who at once exasperating and sympathetic - in short, human. The village is located just 70 km from Berlin in rural Brandenburg, but it may as well be on a different planet. Most of the residents of Unterleuten have been there for generations - everyone knows everyone's family history, everyone's business. That is, they believe they know everything:
Ständig glaubten alle, alles zu wissen, während in Wahrheit niemand im Bilde war. Statt miteinander zu reden, erfanden die Leute Geschichten, die sich weitererzählen ließen.
These misunderstandings festered for generations - nothing really changed until Die Wende - the collapse of the DDR in 1989. While this fundamental change was greeted with euphoria in Berlin, here in rural Brandenburg it was seen as an opportunity to settle old scores:
In Unterleuten herrschte ein fiebriger Schockzustend, der das Blut erhitzte und die Gehirne benebelte. [...] Berufliches Scheitern taugte plötzlich als Beweis für geleisteten Widerstand gegen das Unrechtssytem, so dass die größten Versager mit geschwellter Brust umherspazierten und den Erfolgreichen vorwarfen, sie hätten auf den Schößen der Bonzen gesessen.
The "shock to the system" - Schockzustand - was further amplified by the arrival of newcomers - mostly young westerners - Wessis - seeking an idyllic refuge from the big city as well as investors looking to acquire land at bargain prices.
The novel is structured as a series of alternating short chapter -each with a narrative perspective of eight key figures in the novel. The characters have radically different personalities and Zeh creates compelling backstories, so it was easy to keep track and avoid confusion. There are three principal characters that drive the narrative. Rudolf Gombrowski is viewed as the wealthiest citizen. His father owned most of the land in and around Unterleuten, but during the DDR era he was considered a Klassenfeind - an enemy of the proletariat - and his land was appropriated for a collective farm, "LPG" - Landwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft. Rudolf Gombrowski was chosen by party officials to run the LPG, and after the collapse of the DDR he once again took control of the land. His farm is the only functioning enterprise in the area, he is the largest employer and his taxes pay for the fire department, road maintenance, etc. Because of his perceived wealth and power Gombrowski becomes the scapegoat for everything bad that happens in Unterleuten. Gombrowski's nemesis is Kron, a die-hard communist who resists any changes in the village. Kron has a loyal following of many of the men in Unterleuten who were disenfranchised following die Wende. Then, among the young interlopers seeking a rural utopia, there is the energetic and cunning Linda Franzen, the "horse whisperer" who uses her animal training techniques on humans to good effect. Ultimately, the intrusions of the outside world - from the newcomers, the investors, and the wind farm - have tragic consequences for the village:
Zugezogene begriffen nicht, dass der Weltuntergang hier bereits stattgefunden hatte. Mehrmals. Durch die Bomben des Zweiten Weltkriegs, die bei schlechtem Wetter wahllos über dem Berliner Umland abgeworfen wurden. Durch Rot-Armisten während des Vormarschs auf die Hauptstadt. Durch die Ankunft der Vertriebenen aus Ostpreußen, die sich auf Scheunen, Ställe und halb zerstörte Häuser verteilten. Durch die Errichtung der Mauer und durch das Einreißen der Mauer. Die Überlebenden sprachen eine eigene Sprache und folgten einer eigenen Moral.
With Unterleuten Juli Zeh has written an important social novel - a modern Zeitroman - that examines the great conflicts of our time - between East vs. West, urban vs.rural, millennials vs.their elders, wealthy vs. disenfranchised, etc - but does so with deft satire and sympathy for her characters. Hopefully the novel will soon be available in English translation.
Quelle: https://www.dieterwunderlich.de/Zeh-unterleuten.htm (c) Dieter Wunderlich
Comments