La Place Ducale / Der Herzogenplatz von Charleville-Mézières eigene Aufnahme The French Ardennes are not merely a change of location in The Daughters of the Pinecone. They form the novel's second space of resonance: Augsburg is the origin of the secret, the Ardennes are the place where it begins to speak again. Here, in the narrow valley of the Meuse, Charline's search begins. Not with a major decision, but with a draft in an attic, an old box, a faded photograph, a

Augsburg is not the setting for The Daughters of the Pinecone by chance. The city marks the starting point of the narrative – not only geographically, but also biographically. Sandra Noel's grandmother came from Augsburg. With her begins a story that extends far beyond a single family. Thus, the reader of the novel travels to a place that holds significance for my family – and at the same time leads far beyond a single family history. But Augsburg is more than just a personal

Anyone strolling through Augsburg will see it everywhere: on facades, fountains, gables, and towers. The pinecone is much more than a simple decorative detail: it is the city's iconic heraldic symbol and a cultural motif that has endured for centuries. The predominance of this motif is particularly striking in the historical architecture of Augsburg. On Baroque facades, especially on the buildings of Maximilianstrasse or around the Fugger buildings, the pine cone frequently a

Some stories are written at a desk. Others in real life. The Daughters of the Pinecone belongs to the latter category. It all began in 2018. Not with an idea, but with a memory. Sandra Noel's memory of her grandmother. A woman from Augsburg. A woman who lived through that time. Her story was there. Always. And yet it remained hidden for a long time. Like so many stories of this generation. Until that one moment in 2018. My simple question to to her, almost casually — and yet

© Stadtarchiv Augsburg | Alex Schönfelder The Daughters of the Pinecone is set in Augsburg during the Second World War. However, the focus is less on the historical event itself and more on the devastating impact the war had on families. The novel follows Karla, a woman from Augsburg, who seeks her own path in a time characterized by fear, control, and ideological constraints. Torn between a sense of duty, conformity, and the desire for self-determination, she tries to make t