Self-regulation of the Heart

Peggy Mädler’s novel follows the lives of a group of friends in East Germany, exploring the tension between political idealism and the retreat into private life.

In the mid-1960s, young economist Georg and his friends Roland and Marlies are captivated by the promise of cybernetics, hoping to use self-regulation to reform the socialist planned economy. However, the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968 shatters these intellectual dreams, leading to Roland’s dramatic escape across the Danube and leaving his friends traumatized. Georg retreats into the private sphere, building a bungalow in a weekend settlement in Brandenburg, while nearby, the artist Mona establishes an unconventional community in a dilapidated farmhouse. 

Narrated through alternating perspectives and a collective village chorus, the story spans from these early days to 2023, following this motley group through the early days of the GDR to the end of socialism and the disillusionment with the unkept promises of freedom.