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Ira Peter reveals the traumas of Russian Germans in German enough
On November 4th, 2025, Ira Peter will present her book “German Enough?” in Gütersloh, which addresses the challenges of the Germans from Russia.
Ira Peter reveals the traumas of Russian Germans in German enough
On November 4, 2025, there will be an event in Gütersloh that will delve deeply into the experiences and challenges of the Russian-German community. Author and podcaster Ira Peter reads from her debut work “German Enough?”, which was recently published. Peter's book highlights the conflicts that have accompanied this ethnic group since their resettlement to Germany from Kazakhstan in 1992.
The stories of the author, who was born in Kazakhstan in 1983, go far beyond personal stories. She addresses “post-Soviet stress disorder,” a term she introduced to describe the traumatic experiences and associated challenges for Russian-German citizens. Her work is a comprehensive analysis of the themes of trauma, shame, resilience and integration that span generations.
The painful memories
In her book, Peter reflects on the deportation, flight and discrimination that many Russian-Germans, including her own family, experienced. As victims of persecution in the Soviet Union, Russian Germans were considered an unloved minority, and their arrival in Germany did not bring 100% recognition. In this country they are often simply referred to as “the Russians” or “repatriates”, which can only increase the pain and isolation they feel.
During her readings, Peter noticed that many listeners have similar family stories and often react emotionally to her book. “It feels like phantom pain,” she says of the experience, which many people don’t easily process. Her parents, who often worked in factories or as cleaners in Germany, had their training not recognized in the Soviet Union, which made their integration even more difficult.
A call for healing
In her book, Peter also addresses the new generations of Russian Germans and hopes that they will have the opportunity to come to terms with their traumatic experiences. During her research, she also touched on the concept of transgenerational trauma, which shows how experiences are passed from one generation to the next. The event in Gütersloh, which takes place as part of the “Gütersloh enlightens – expands health literacy” project, offers the opportunity to discuss these important topics. The event is financially supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The event is a valuable opportunity for anyone interested in the topics of integration and the effects of trauma. It is recommended to register in advance and secure a place using course number H35140. Peter dedicates her work to those “brought along” who share and process their stories through art and literature.