The unknown grandfather

The Unknown Grandfather is a German children's book by Günter Görlich from 1984 that is about the difficult return of a grandfather to his family.

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Paul Stojahn spent a long time abroad as an excavator driver. Since his marriage and family broke up during these frequent stays abroad (Siberia, Africa, Lapland), he has no contact with his relatives. The book begins with a meeting with his grandson Markus, who did not know anything about his existence or his grandfather's history. The grandfather wins the boy's sympathy through gifts (a miniature excavator), but the boy's parents quarrel over the grandfather. For example, Paul's son Georg and Grandma Renate, Paul Stojahn's former wife, skip a first meeting with grandfather. As the latter in turn notices the fruitlessness of his efforts for his family, he decides to go on another assignment abroad. He says goodbye to his grandson with a letter and the present of his Lappish fin dagger and asks him not to forget him.

Editions and translations

The unknown grandfather was published by the children's book publisher Berlin and had four editions by 1989 (1984, 1986, 1988, 1989). The third and fourth editions of the book were illustrated by Konrad Golz .

filming

The book was made into a film in 1986 by the GDR television station, directed by Gunter Friedrich . Kurt Böwe played the main role of Paul Stojahn . Excavators from the Nordhausen company NOBAS can be seen. A futile attempt by the son to speak to his grandfather is added to the film, which is not included in the book.