The pears of Ribbeck

More about the book

Fontane's ballad has made the village of Ribbeck, located forty kilometers from Berlin, famous. After the fall of the Wall, West Berliners come to Ribbeck to gift the villagers a pear tree and celebrate German unity with them. They plant the tree like a standard in occupied territory next to the castle, which is now a nursing home, and do not inquire about the past. At a folk festival, which has not taken place for decades, featuring pea soup, free beer, and pear schnapps from the West, a Ribbeck farmer gains attention. Hesitantly at first, he recounts the history of the village along the old military road, speaking of feudal lords, Nazis, and soldiers from World War II, the stages of socialism, and the decline of agriculture. He shares stories of the village's lords, the last Ribbeck who ended up in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, the Red Army, party officials, and the heirs who now measure the village with authoritative strides. A "guest speaker," he seeks to be heard and recounts against the loss of history and memory in himself, his village, and his country.