Der Schwimmer

Franz Felder grows up in a cramped Berlin tenement, the fifth of eight children in a family that scrapes by on hard‑won wages. Life is a constant shuffle of chores, bruising brotherly tussles and the thin line between hunger and a full loaf. Yet from his earliest memories the river beckons, its cool currents shaping his very sense of self.

The Spree’s wooden walkways become his playground, where he fashions tiny boats from shavings and dives into the sluggish summer water with the ease of a fish. Untrained yet instinctive, he learns to glide, to retrieve stones from the mud, and to master his first simple dive—all while the world around him presses for survival. Through these watery adventures Franz discovers a freedom that contrasts sharply with the cramped rooms and relentless labor of his home, hinting at the pivotal role his passion for swimming will play in the chapters to come.