Matzlingen

Matzlingen, a town in Switzerland, is the main location for the novel. It is significant because of its insignificance. Erich and Roger believe that its location far away from the borders mean that they will not personally have to deal with the refugee crisis. In contrast, Anton feels that the town’s irrelevancy in the world at large is a bad thing and a sign that he has personally failed because he has failed to escape to more exotic locations. Gustav is committed to Matzlingen as long as he remains trapped in his own past. When he moves on from the past, he moves on from Matzlingen and moves to Davos.

The Apartment on Unter der Egg

The apartment on Unter der Egg is the location where Gustav grows up. Erich first rents the apartment alone after losing his job and being forced to give up the apartment...