Bringing a deeply personal and politically resonant story to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Clare Fraenkel’s solo show I Was A German explores the legacy of exile, identity, and the echoes of history through generations. Blending storytelling, music, projections and shadow puppetry, the piece follows Fraenkel’s journey to reclaim the German citizenship stripped from her grandfather by the Nazis—only to discover he had once written a book explaining why he never wanted it back.
“The show came about after I applied for an EU passport post-Brexit,” Fraenkel explains. “I found out I could get a German one because my grandparents were refugees from Germany. But then I discovered the reason I could get it was because their citizenship had been taken from them by the Nazis on the grounds of being Jewish.”
That discovery sparked an ethical dilemma. “It was very specifically my grandfather’s citizenship, passed down the paternal line. He had settled here and never gone back. So I had to ask myself—was it mine to reclaim?”
The answer seemed to come too late. “He died in the 1980s, so there was no way of asking him. I applied anyway, thinking it was righting a wrong. And then I found out he’d published a book in the 1950s about why he chose never to reclaim his citizenship. That completely blew me away.”
Fraenkel, an actor by training, turned to theatre to process the discovery. “His story didn’t fit any conventional narrative. His opinions were surprising, they changed over time, and they were challenging. So the play became a way of exploring both his story and my own dilemma, with decades between them.”
Delving into her family’s past proved unexpectedly rewarding. “It’s been a really positive experience. I got to know a grandfather who died when I was five. I had this hazy memory of a German accent and pipe cleaners in his study. Now I’ve read his work, seen him mentioned in other books—he was a writer and journalist, a public figure in his own right.”
What surprised Fraenkel most was her grandfather’s initial reaction to exile. “He wasn’t happy to be here. He was devastated. He missed Berlin, he missed home. That really challenged my assumptions about refugees being grateful to be here.”
The show draws striking parallels between past and present. “What my grandfather went through is happening to people around the world right now. All it takes is one government to decide you don’t belong. The decisions made by those in power ripple through generations.”
Despite its weighty themes, I Was A German is far from sombre. “We’ve made it a very theatrical, enjoyable experience. There’s music, original songs, projections inspired by 1930s cinema. My grandfather loved cabaret and somehow always found a party—even in exile. We’ve tried to bring that joy into the show.”
Fraenkel’s enthusiasm for the Fringe is palpable. “This is my third time, but my first solo show. I’m staying with some of the Boris III team (Clare’s previous show), so it’ll be a mix of familiar faces and new challenges. I’m really throwing myself into the full Edinburgh experience.”
And if you’re thinking of booking? “I’d say it’s a thoughtful, musical, entertaining, epic hour. It’s about history, identity, and hope. And it’s fun.”
I Was A German runs at ZOO Southside (Studio), Edinburgh Fringe from 1st to 24th August 2025 (not 12th) at 13:50. Tickets are available here.
