Ricarda Messner: Wo der Name wohnt (Literaturtage Recklinghausen 2026)

Ricarda Messner Reads from “Where the Name Lives”

How can memories be preserved when people, places, and stories disappear? In her acclaimed debut novel *Wo der Name wohnt*, Ricarda Messner sets out in search of traces of her family—spanning Berlin, Riga, and several generations of family history.

Her journey begins in her grandparents’ apartment, which she clears out after their death. Amid the cutlery, music cassettes, and everyday objects, a desire grows to preserve something else: the family name Levitanus. This search takes her all the way to Riga, to the memories of her great-grandfather and the traces of Jewish life in Latvia.

With great sensitivity, Ricarda Messner tells a story of origin, memory, and identity. She weaves personal family history with historical upheavals, creating a moving literary portrait of loss, belonging, and the question of what remains of a life.

Note: Starting at 12:00 p.m., visitors can take part in a free public guided tour of the current exhibition.