Today, I received the first-time Czech translation of "Our Quest for a Homeland: A Novel of Emigration." The book was written by German Social Democrat, journalist, and refugee Robert Grötzsch, who fled to Czechoslovakia in March 1933.
The novel captures the uncertainty and in-betweenness of exile, while also conveying themes of solidarity, self-empowerment, and hope.
Many thanks to Zuzana Schwarzová for the fantastic translation, and to Thomas Oellermann for making this publication possible.
Robert Grötzsch: Hledáme nový domov. Román o emigraci. S předmluvou Swena Steinberga (Olomouc: Burian a Tichák, 2025), 188 pages
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It was originally published in Bratislava in 1936 under the title "Wir suchen ein Land: Roman einer Emigration."I had the privilege of contributing an introduction to this remarkable and still highly unusual early reflection on the transit experiences of political exiles fleeing Nazi persecution.
Gave a guest lecture this week on “Flight to Canada? Immigration, Internment & Transit, Memory” in Simone Lässig’s course “Life in Transit” at @tu-braunschweig.de. Two weeks ago, I talked about Czechoslovakia, Borderland Networks, Resistance, and Memory. Grateful for the chance to share my research