Café Continental

Bernd-Lutz Lange takes us to Café Continental and simultaneously on a literary journey through the last 60 years, infused with gentle humor, a touch of satire, and a hint of melancholy. Café Continental is the major meeting point of this city. Young and old come together here, locals and strangers, the hurried and those who spend half the day at the coffeehouse table. For Richard Dumont, just a student, a whole new world opens up. He passionately discusses the changing political climate, secret news, and the most private love affairs with friends at the painters' regulars' table. Pianist Ferdinand Barnowsky takes him on a journey to the golden years of Berlin's cabaret in the 1920s, to the Romanisches Café, and to the premiere of The Threepenny Opera. Over the years, he meets many new interesting people and learns their astonishing family stories. Time and again, Jewish fates in the city come to the fore. At neighboring tables, Richard Dumont overhears all sorts of exciting conversations, ranging from cheerful to bizarre, and from tragic to comedic. In this coffeehouse, Bernd-Lutz Lange has found a literary place where he narrates the history of this country from the mid-1960s to today through stories – and perhaps also his own.