Open Access

Friederike Mönninghoff

• Memory has established itself as an important paradigm in many different sciences since the 1980s, as also in literature. Memories form and stabilize identity and are therefore indispensable for individuals and communities. Literature, as a memory medium, has an important role in the transition from individual recollections to collective memory. It is a storage medium. Narrations make others’ experiences understandable; they fix memories and so make the transition into cultural memory possible. The narration „In der Nachbarschaft“ (In the neighbourhood) by Joachim Wittstock serves as a good example of this. Written in the style of a diary, it allows the reader to experience the hours and days of the upheaval in 1989. Collective experiences are recorded, such as the demonstrations, as well as the very personal impressions of Joachim Wittstock. Through the narration the recipient can comprehend both. The memories exist beyond their carrier.