Erfindung einer Sprache und andere Erzählungen

Wolfgang Kohlhaase is regarded as one of the most important screenwriters in German film history. However, his literary work is hardly known. These stories are wise and composed, full of wit and often quite laconic, sometimes more comedic, sometimes more melancholic. They began during the war and shed light on life as it was, and later in the East of the divided country.

The title story tells of the student Straat, who claims to speak Persian in order to secure a chance of survival in the camp. Now he is to give language lessons to the Kapo, who wants to go to Persia after the war. His only option is to invent a language. This story served as the basis for the film "Persian Lessons," which was released in theaters in 2020.