Who is Kaltenburg? An ornithologist and behavioral researcher who establishes a research institute in Dresden after the war. An eccentric who leaves his company car and chauffeur behind to ride a motorcycle. For Hermann Funk, who lost his parents during the bombing of Dresden, he becomes a father figure. As an old man, Funk reflects on the founding of the institute and the GDR, on Kaltenburg's sudden disappearance after the construction of the Wall, and on a possibly dark chapter in his past. Against the backdrop of half a century of GDR history, Marcel Beyer masterfully narrates human life stories in his highly acclaimed novel. Joseph-Breitbach Prize 2008.