Fridolin Schley

1947, the Nuremberg Trials: One of the defendants is Ernst von Weizsäcker, SS brigade leader and top diplomat under Ribbentrop. Among his defenders is his son Richard, who four decades later, as President of Germany, will speak about war guilt and Germany’s liberation from Nazi atrocity in his May 8 speech. A historical constellation that could hardly be invented: Here – embodied in father and son – the old, guilt-ridden Germany and the just emerging Federal Republic collide.

Fridolin Schley approaches the historical figures with literary flair, circling around the fundamental questions of good and evil, guilt and innocence, emotional and moral obligation.

Fridolin Schley, born in Munich in 1976, made his debut in 2001 with the novel Verloren, mein Vater. Publications in prose, essay, and literary studies followed. His awards include the Toucan Prize for the short story collection Wildes schönes Tier. His most recent publication was the critically acclaimed novella Die Ungesichter.