Gerta Schnirch is a powerful historical drama that offers deep insight into Czech culture by exploring themes of collective guilt, national identity, and generational trauma. The story is based on Kateřina Tučková’s novel The Expulsion of Gerta Schnirch, first published in 2009, which sparked intense debate for its portrayal of the Czech-German postwar settlement. The English edition, titled Gerta, released in 2021, brought international attention to one of Czechia’s most painful historical episodes — the Brno death march.

The narrative focuses on the events of May 1945, when around 20,000 ethnic Germans, mostly women, children, and elderly people, were forced to march nearly 50 kilometers from Brno to the Austrian border. Many suffered from hunger, disease, and violence, making the march one of the most tragic moments in Czech postwar history.

The two-part miniseries Gerta Schnirch, directed by Tomáš Mašín and now streaming on HBO Max, follows Gerta’s life from the age of 17 to 70. The younger Gerta is played by Barbora Váchová, while Milena Steinmasslová portrays her in later years. The series presents her journey through war, displacement, and decades of political change.

Gerta grows up in a conflicted Czech-German family. While her father and brother support the Nazi regime, Gerta and her Czech mother oppose it. After her mother’s death, Gerta suffers severe abuse and later gives birth during wartime in Brno. Soon after, she and her newborn daughter are forced into the Brno death march, where they face extreme brutality and inhumane conditions.

After surviving the march, Gerta and her daughter are sent to work on farms in South Moravia. They are taken in by an elderly woman who helps protect them from hostility. Eventually, Gerta regains her Czechoslovak citizenship and returns to Brno, where she lives through Stalinism, political repression, and finally the Velvet Revolution of 1989.

Author Kateřina Tučková has stated that her aim was to highlight the stories of displaced families who were anti-fascist and pro-Czech, yet were punished purely because of their ethnicity. Through Gerta’s story, she challenges the idea of collective guilt and questions how entire communities were held responsible regardless of individual beliefs or actions.

The timing of the series is particularly significant, as Brno is set to host the Sudeten German Congress in 2026, which has already sparked political controversy. Director Tomáš Mašín believes the story is not just about the past but also reflects modern issues of war, migration, and identity.

At its core, Gerta Schnirch is a story about generational trauma and forgiveness, focusing on the complex relationships between mother, daughter, and granddaughter. Tučková described the screen adaptation as deeply emotional and respectful, offering viewers a rare and moving perspective on a part of Czech history that is often overlooked.