From the point of view of a child, the classic of Russia-German literature Hugo Wormsbecher depicts the hopeless struggle for survival of a Volga-German family during the deprived years of the Second World War. The loss of the homeland on the Volga and the deportation of the family form the background of the novella "Our Courtyard", which becomes a parable for the fate of the Russia-Germans.

Dr. Walther Friesen heads the Dortmund-based association "Training and Research Center ETHNOS e.V." and is an orientalist by profession. He is also the author of some publications on East German history.