»The Nobel laureate next door – Grass and Lübeck«

What is home? And what remains when you lose it? For Günter Grass, it was many things: a place of memory, a great loss, his literary driving force. His thoughts and stories encourage us to question our own understanding of home.

Lübeck was not home for Grass, yet it was no coincidence that he eventually settled in the nearby Behlendorf district and the Hanseatic city itself in his later years.

The exhibition »The Nobel laureate next door – Grass and Lübeck« explores the themes of origin, homeland, and belonging. It recounts Grass's life journey, his departures, his sense of alienation, and his arrival, and encourages visitors to reflect on their own feelings: What makes a place home, a home? Is it familiar smells or sounds, the proximity of the Baltic Sea, one's own refrigerator — or a small object like a rubber duck? Perhaps it is also the people we encounter daily without truly knowing them.

Original drawings, watercolors, manuscripts, as well as audio stations and films offer personal insights into Günter Grass's experiences. At the same time, the Günter Grass House invites the public to share their own memories and thoughts. This creates a multifaceted conversation about belonging, familiarity, and what home can mean for each and every one of us.