Michael Brandner is one of the most famous faces of German television, in the series “Hubert Without Staller” he reaches an audience of millions. Now he has written a novel about his post-war childhood in the Ruhr area.
Mr. Brandner, your novel “The Coke Guy” gives a direct insight into the post-war years – from the point of view of the children of that time. How do you view this era?
The war was like a shadow play for us. There was a staunch silence about what had happened just a few years earlier, but you heard the stories when the fathers had drunk too much. At the same time, everything was still very present and close, because you saw many who had returned physically and mentally crippled.