Culture Thursday: Author reading with Sandra Lüpkes "A Place That Remains"

"A Place That Remains" - Three women, three generations - a garden by the sea. A novel about transience, new beginnings, and hope. And about what it means to take root in a foreign land. Magda's life changes in an instant: Her husband Alfred, a botanist in Münster, loses his professorship in 1933 because he is Jewish. As the situation in Germany escalates, the Heilbronn family packs their bags. In distant Istanbul, a surprising offer awaits: The founder of the Republic, Atatürk, wants to modernize the country's universities, and a magnificent botanical garden with plants from around the world is to be established by the Bosporus. So Magda also packs seeds from her Westphalian homeland. But will she be able to take root in a foreign land? A few years later, the garden in the old town of Istanbul is a flourishing place of science. The talented botanist Mehpare, as Alfred's assistant, takes care of the flower beds and greenhouses. So much can be collected and researched in the world – only Mehpare's feelings remain uncharted territory. Until she loses her footing after a tragic accident. Decades later, young urban planner Imke finds herself in Istanbul. She is to create a study on the future of the botanical garden – and thus help decide the fate of this special place. The culinary delights are, as always, provided by the team from "de Holter Wienkeller." On May 21, 2026, at 8:00 PM at the Fehntjer Forum (Doors open at 7:30 PM).