Remembering Nexø / Erinnerung an Nexø

Cycling past this imposing boulder every day, I’ve been racking my brains to remember where I’d heard of this Danish chronicler of early twentieth century working classes - and wondering what links him with Greifswald.

The answer to the first question is that his most famous work was Pelle the Conqueror, the film of which won both the Palme D’Or and Foreign Language Oscar - impressive!

The German link is because, as a member of the communist party, he decided to settle in East Germany after the war. His rewards included an
honorary degree from the University and honorary citizen of the city of Greifswald - plus this rather striking memorial.