Scanning and Digitisation in Our New Digitisation Workshop
21 October, 2026Andreas Kossert will read from his new book *Elsa’s World: In the Footsteps of My Grandmother. A Family History from Łódź* (Siedler Verlag, 2026) on Thursday, 19 November 2026, at 6 pm in the Library’s lecture room (2nd floor).
On 19 November 2026, Andreas Kossert will present his new book Elsa’s World: In the Footsteps of My Grandmother. A Family History from Łódź, published in 2026, at the Martin-Opitz-Library.
In his most personal book to date, historian and bestselling author Andreas Kossert traces the life of his grandmother Elsa and her roots in Łódź, Poland – a city that was once a “promised land” for his German ancestors. He tells the story of his family, from the arrival of German colonists in the eighteenth century and the city’s rapid rise as a textile centre to Elsa’s daily life under German occupation during the Second World War, lived in the shadow of terror and mass extermination. After the war, she faced expulsion, internment and, ultimately, the loss of her homeland. Through his grandmother’s story, Kossert creates an intimate portrait of his family while also painting a sweeping picture of Central European history, related with striking emotional force and sensitivity. Elsa’s life, shaped by hope and loss and defying simple national labels, reflects the wider European tragedy of nationalism and war – and makes her story as relevant today as ever.
Andreas Kossert was born in 1970 and studied history, Slavic studies and politics. He holds a doctorate in history, worked at the German Historical Institute in Warsaw and has lived in Berlin since 2010, where he works as a historian and author. His books on the history of Masuria (2001) and East Prussia (2005) were warmly received. His subsequent publications include the bestseller Kalte Heimat. Die Geschichte der deutschen Vertriebenen nach 1945 (2008), Ostpreußen. Geschichte einer historischen Landschaft (2014) and Flucht – Eine Menschheitsgeschichte (2020). His work has been recognised with several awards, including the Georg Dehio Book Prize in 2008, the NDR Kultur Non-Fiction Book Prize in 2020 and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation’s Political Book Award in 2021.
The reading will take place in the lecture room on the second floor of the Martin-Opitz-Library. Admission is free. We look forward to welcoming you.
