What stories could these walls tell? We are standing in front of the Anna-Seghers-Gedenkstätte. It is more than just a museum. It is a preserved piece of a writer’s life.
Anna Seghers lived in this unassuming apartment building for almost three decades. She resided here from 1955 until her death in 1983. The location is in Berlin’s Adlershof district. Today, Volkswohlstraße 81 is Anna-Seghers-Straße.
Seghers found a haven in this apartment. She could work without disturbance. The Anna Seghers Museum opened in 1985. The apartment remains almost unchanged.
In the living and work room, you will find Segher’s extensive library. It holds roughly 10000 editions. Many are old and rare books. Most contain the bookplate of Netty Reiling. This was Anna Seghers’ maiden name.
The apartment has simple furnishings from the early 1950s. There are simple wooden tables, a seating area, and a tiled coal furnace with a bench. On the writing table, you can see the Remington typewriter. Seghers brought it from exile in Mexico.
In László Radványi’s room, Anna Seghers’ husband, you’ll discover a collection of first editions of her work. There is also a comprehensive collection of German and foreign-language editions. A small permanent exhibition covers the life and work of Anna Seghers.
The Anna Seghers Museum was formerly named Anna Seghers Memorial. The Berlin Academy of Arts operates it.
Anna Seghers once wrote about her apartment. She said she was indifferent to it except for two places. She liked a corner in the window of her little bedroom. She called it a cabin. From there she could see far into the distance. She imagined beyond the sea and ships. She also liked to lie on the tiny little balcony. In the evenings, she watched the birds. She wondered why they were flying around. She thought humankind had not yet invented such a way of flying. Most importantly she said she could write a lot there. She hoped some of it was good.
People passing below her balcony could often hear the clatter of her typewriter. This location reminded Anna Seghers of writing on board ship during her Atlantic crossings. In 1963 after her second trip to Brazil, she began her novel Überfahrt. Eine Liebesgeschichte which she finished in Adlershof in 1970/71. In 1956, she called the balcony her ‘crow’s nest’.
After Anna Seghers’ death, her home and study were preserved as a Museum. The Akademie der Künste manages it today. The apartment still has all the original furnishings. It also contains Anna Seghers’ personal souvenirs from across the world. These include stones and sea snail shells, pottery, and musical instruments from Mexico.
Her private library comprises around 10000 volumes. The books fill shelves in all four rooms and the hallway. They include volumes with dedications by authors from many countries who were her friends. A permanent display case exhibition shows photographs and documents. These illustrate the life of Anna Seghers and her family. The exhibition includes first editions of her books. One example is Das siebte Kreuz. It appeared in 1942 in the USA as The Seventh Cross. It became a worldwide success. Editions of German writers in exile are on show as well. These were published by the Querido Verlag in Amsterdam. You can also see Anna Seghers’ dissertation. She presented it at Heidelberg University in 1924.
The Anna Seghers-Gedenkstätte offers a glimpse into the world of a remarkable writer. It is a place where her spirit lives on.