Readers of Motherland might be curious to see this photo. Mina’s son, Juergen, now lives in Mina’s house and he has made dramatic changes to the property. He renovated the dilapidated house and converted the vacant barn into a theater. During the 1950s and 1960s, Mina ran a sanitarium in the barn, offering patients the fresh air and pastoral views of Tromm.
Now, the tiny town of Tromm attracts people from miles around for theater productions. In the summer, Juergen and his wife, Angelika, host an annual children’s theater festival called “Trommer Sommer,” featuring children’s workshops, puppet shows and children’s productions on two stages.
The last time I was in Germany, Juergen and I did a joint reading in the large theater. Many Germans traveled more than 50 miles to hear the two of us read the German and English editions of Motherland.
With his theater in the barn, Juergen has put Tromm — a tiny hamlet with five houses — on the map.