Written by bestselling author Oliver Potzsch There are numerous books and historical novels, the best known of which is the Hangman’s Daughter saga. The series was inspired by Pötzsch’s family history. One of the locations is the Andechs monastery, his “personal navel of the world”, as he calls the place. Because not only one of these novels is set there, the Munich-based writer also regularly takes readers on literary walks around the monastery. With “The Girl and the Gravedigger”, Pötzsch presented the second volume of his new historical crime series this spring.
Monday: Birthday surprise
The best wife of all gets a belated birthday present from me today that she only finds out about through this article. Tataaa! I have two tickets for three quarter blood got hold of Well, Katrin, how is that…? The Upper Bavarian band around the Banana Fish Bones-Singer Sebastian Horn is playing in the Deutsches Museum’s Kleiner Posthof tonight. I can’t get your song “Deifedanz” out of my head. In addition, the Tölz dialect reminds me of my deceased grandmother from Hohenschäftlarn, descendant of our executioner dynasty, whose favorite curse was “Bluatige Heenakepf”. Also a good song title!
Tuesday: navel of the world
Andechs Monastery is a popular destination – but for Oliver Pötzsch it’s more than that: one of his hangman’s daughter novels is set here, and it’s also where he often takes literary walks with readers.
(Photo: Peter Kneffel/dpa)
If the weather is right, I’ll drive out to the Andechs monastery during the day, my personal navel of the world. It’s not for nothing that one of my hangman’s daughter novels is set there, I also take my readers on literary walks around the monastery again and again. From the Herrsching S-Bahn station, the route takes about one and a half hours via the Kienbachtal up to the church and beer garden. In addition, my shepherd’s wagon is not far from here, my little writing cell at the Ammersee. Speaking of Lake Ammer, in the evening a Bavarian-speaking band from Schondorf will be performing in the “Café Gans am Wasser” in the West Park. Loden free… good name! That’s why I stop by.
Wednesday: Jazz and drinks
Favorite cold drink is an ice-cold Negroni. Pötzsch prefers to drink it in the Vogler jazz bar – and shaken, not stirred.
(Photo: imago images/YAY Micro)
Besides writing, jazz and blues are my great passion. With my soul band jamaunited we are always represented in Munich. And of course you want to see and hear what your colleagues are up to. My favorite place for this is the Jazz bar Vogler on Rumfordstrasse. The Vogler is one of the last places in Munich where you can still experience jazz music live in a wonderfully dim bar atmosphere. It was just an anniversary, 25 years, and crowdfunding is intended to ensure that there will soon be air conditioning. The boss himself became a writer, as you can see from the funny newsletters that are now part of my internal mail. Also recommended: his book with short stories from everyday life in the bar “Der Kotzende Hund”, which you can get from him at the bar, among other things. Then an ice-cold Negroni, stirred, not shaken! Or was it the other way around?
Thursday: Versatile Castle
The writer associates the castle chapel in Blutenburg with a very special, personal experience.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
I love palaces and castles! And at least when it comes to castles, Munich has a lot to offer. For example the beautiful Blutenburg, where our daughter Lily was baptized in the castle chapel. Unforgotten how Lily’s nativity scene almost outlined one of the late Gothic church figures and her brother Niklas threw his teddy across the altar. In the Blutenburg there is not only that International Youth Librarythe Michael Ende Museum and the James Kruess Tower. There is also live music in the castle courtyard. As part of the Palace concerts in Blutenburg On this evening the “Trio Schmuck” will play works by Beethoven, Schumann and Bruch. So I’m glad that our children don’t throw teddies anymore…
Friday: beer in the bathroom
“Das Bad” in the former Tropferlbad on the Bavariaring is a source of inspiration and an oasis of relaxation.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
Today I’m working on a new program with my friend and colleague Moses Wolff. We’ve both found that we’re not only the same age, but suffer from the same male diseases, know the same poems and songs by heart and are both, well… not averse to Bavarian beer. Real Soulmates! We’re always on stage together. Our next program will be the ultimate quiz: “Who will be Bieronär?” – an evening for guessing and drinking along. Of course, we have to discuss this in the very inn where, according to beer and Wiesn expert Wolff, the coldest and best Munich Augustiner is served: the bathroom, right next to the Theresienwiese. There, Moses has already described the properties of a perfect beer dispenser to me in the most glowing words. Unfortunately I forget them after every visit…
Saturday: Eberhofer in Laim
“Guglhupfgeschwader”, the new film based on a thriller by Rita Falk and starring Sebastian Bezzel (left) and Simon Schwarz, is also showing at the Neuer Rex in Laim.
(Photo: Constantin Film)
I’m going for a stroll today. And not in the city center, but in Laim. Yes, just listen, you snooty Schwabingers and nouveau riche Westeners, we Laimer are coming! My first stop is my local bookstore”books hackers“, where I go out with half a dozen books, which I then shred in my brother Marian’s garden, and where we figure out who will read which book first. Then it’s off to New rexmaybe in the current Eberhofer film “Guglhupfgeschwader”, later to preheat in the “pebbles” and in the evening in my favorite Greek “potlatch“, where you sit outside like at a wine tavern and enjoy the “Viennese Mixed Set”. Or I look over to the West Park, where the open-air cinema “Sun, moon and stars” the Rocky Horror Picture Show runs. Yeah, take this, Haidhausen!
Sunday: Cool off in the museum
While the others are sizzling by the lake, Pötzsch likes to escape to a cool museum, especially the State Museum of Egyptian Art.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
I’m definitely of Celtic blood and I don’t do well in the summer heat. When things get really bad, a visit to a museum is sometimes a good way to cool down. In addition, you are usually alone because the others are sizzling somewhere by the lake. I found this while researching my last historical crime novel, The Girl and the Gravedigger State Museum of Egyptian Art newly discovered for me. You really have the feeling of descending into a tomb, a real journey through time! Today on Sunday, admission is only 1 euro. Even the outdoor pool costs more. In the evening there is still time to go to the Hirschgarten. My favorite beer garden is conveniently around the corner from me, so that after a busy week I stagger comfortably towards my bed.
Oliver Pötzsch was born in Munich in 1970 as the first of three sons. After graduating from high school in 1990, he began writing fantasy short stories while doing community service. He then attended the German School of Journalism in Munich and later worked for the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation in the radio department, later for the television programs “quer” and the magazine “Freizeit”, for which he was involved in the production of travel films. His literary breakthrough came in 2008 with his debut “The Henker’s Daughter”. In this historical novel he processed, among other things, the story of the Schongau executioner Jakob Kuisl, whose dynasty he himself comes from. He also writes children’s and non-fiction books. Pötzsch’s books are published in more than 20 countries. In his spare time he sings in the soul band “Jamasunited” and is involved in various other music projects.