Writer Ingo Schulze in favor of negotiations with Russia

In view of the war in Ukraine, Dresden-born author Ingo Schulze is in favor of negotiating with Russia. "There must be a perspective for negotiations," the 61-year-old told Stern magazine. "There can hardly be a worse situation than now. This slaughtering and shredding of people is unacceptable," said Schulze. "We simply say that Ukraine must continue to fight. But anyone who says that should ultimately also be prepared to send their own children to war."

Schulze is expected at the Leipzig Book Fair on Thursday. He will discuss the state of democracy with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, writer Anne Rabe and author Marcel Beyer.

The writer sees a connection between East German socialization and fear of war. "I believe that the growing discomfort with this war has a lot to do with East German biographies. Almost every man in the East was in the army," he said. "You only have to have taken part in one of those stupid winter exercises to feel that you're at the mercy of a soldier." Schulze continued: "Maybe you take it more personally. Because you say: What if I had to go there now?"

Schulze also criticized the West German sovereignty of discourse on many issues. "The West is the gold standard in intra-German relations, there is no relativization. East Germans and migrant families are more aware of their background, they are often forced to explain themselves." Schulze believes that the uncertainty that has gripped many East Germans can be explained. "Many felt they were the subject of history in 1989, but a year later they were superfluous workers. Everything was gone and we were completely naive about the West. I didn't even know what cash meant. Or value added tax. I had never heard of it. Professions disappeared, entire industrial regions vanished. The uncertainty from back then still has an effect today."