“Martha’s Labyrinth” tells the story of the Jewish biologist Martha Geiringer, who flees Vienna for Ghent in 1938, where she meets the married doctor Yvonne. This biographical portrait of two fascinating women takes us through two decades in a world torn apart by war, a time of enormous political instability. It is about Martha, the intelligent, tenacious and determined woman. And Yvonne, the equally tenacious, determined and intelligent young doctor from Ghent. The intimate and intense relationship between these two women takes place against the backdrop of the slow encroachment of Nazi ideology into all areas of their lives and those of their families and colleagues. The book describes in detail the various facets of life in Ghent as it slowly deteriorates, and how Martha is driven into the depths of the labyrinth.

Lecture and booktalk, moderated by Andreas Brunner, in English.

November 23, 2025, 6 p.m.