Better than Never

After being postponed twice due to the pandemic, the »Grenzgang« festival is finally going to take place once more in the small town of Bergenstadt – but suddenly, the much-loved tradition becomes a cause for controversy. Linda Preiss, a psychologist at the local high school, is outraged: the townsfolk don’t want her riding a horse in the festivites because she’s a woman! Was it a mistake to return to her hometown after all these years? In the lead-up to the event, the mayor, Jürgen Bamberger finds himself under pressure to provide answers on multiple fronts. The local radio has questions about the figure of the so-called »Moor«, and his daughter has publicly aired her repudiation of the festival. As the debates grow increasingly heated, Jürgen feels more and more alienated from the town where he has spent his whole life.

Seventeen years have passed since the Grenzgang festival was first celebrated in literature in Stephan Thome’s eponymous debut novel. In the meantime, however, the mood in society has radically shifted. Leaving the protagonists confronted by some of the burning topics of our time. How do we relate to traditions when they seem to conflict with our contemporary morals and beliefs? And how do overwhelmed individuals find their way when the coordinates of culture are constantly shifting?