Interview Directory 

IN FOCUS/ATF

Name: Dr. Robert Lackner

Historian, Author

Mr Lackner, following your biography How a Young Lawyer Saved Thousands of Jews (2024), you have written a gripping political thriller with Silk Road. What inspired you to switch from historical narrative to the fictional genre? Was it liberating?

Absolutely! Just writing without restrictions, without footnotes – there's something liberating about that. You build your own world, so to speak, and can do whatever you want there. Of course, that's not possible with non-fiction or even academic literature. Although I did a lot of research for Silk Road, reading up intensively, so the work processes are not that different in some respects. And in the end, the plot has to make sense and lead to a logical conclusion. I have to plot intensively so that I don't get lost in the individual storylines. So yes, the switch to fiction was liberating for me, but also challenging, albeit in a different way.

‘What if China makes good on its threats and stops exporting these raw materials? Then espionage and covert political influence come into play, as do global supply chains and the Port of Hamburg as Germany's gateway to the world.’

Your novel highlights China's geopolitical influence, especially through the ‘New Silk Road’. What specific influences – economic, political, technological – do you see in Europe, for example in trading cities such as Hamburg or Düsseldorf? How realistic is the conspiracy described in the book?

First of all, Silk Road is, of course, fiction and a thriller that dramatises, exaggerates and exaggerates things. However, many aspects of it are inspired by current events and processes. First of all, there is the background against which the plot of the novel unfolds. It is about Germany's economic dependence on foreign countries. We all remember what the Russian attack on Ukraine meant for Germany's energy supply, particularly gas. Among other things, Silk Road deals with the availability of rare earths, on which German industry is heavily dependent – and this is currently a highly topical issue due to the trade dispute between the US and China. What if China makes good on its threats and stops exporting these raw materials? Then espionage and covert political influence come into play, as do global supply chains and the Port of Hamburg as Germany's gateway to the world. 

‘If, for example, the supply of microchips collapses because of a conflict over Taiwan, this will have devastating consequences for all of us, because almost every aspect of our daily lives is already based on technology.’

What may sound unwieldy is perhaps not so irrelevant from a social perspective. If, for example, the supply of microchips collapses, perhaps due to a conflict over Taiwan, this would have devastating consequences for all of us, because almost every aspect of our daily lives is already based on technology. No toaster works without a chip, not to mention cars and smartphones. This is also addressed in ‘Silk Road’ – and it is not impossible that this could happen, especially when you look at the current world situation. However, the focus is on two contrasting main characters: Max Oster, a former and failed agent – actually an operative, as it is correctly called – of the German Federal Intelligence Service, and Laura Schneider, a young and highly motivated journalist.

‘In Berlin, a prominent politician and critic of China dies in a bizarre accident; in Hamburg, a Chinese businesswoman is brutally murdered.’

Out of self-interest, they investigate two strange incidents. In Berlin, a prominent politician and critic of China dies in a bizarre accident; in Hamburg, a Chinese businesswoman is brutally murdered. And this happens just as the German government is expecting a high-level delegation from China to conclude a close economic alliance between the two countries, including a majority stake for China in the Port of Hamburg. Many people fear that Germany is making the same mistake it made with Russia and becoming too dependent, and they unexpectedly rise up in protest. The accident, the murder, the summit, the demonstrations – Oster and Schneider try to find out if and how all this is connected.

‘Working as a secret service historian is perhaps not so spectacular. These archives are freely accessible, which is regulated by law, as the public has a right to information.’

‘What do you think I've met there!’

As a contemporary historian, you bring insider knowledge to the table. Can you tell us something about your work as a secret service historian? How has this expertise shaped the character of ex-BND agent Max Oster?

Working as a secret service historian is perhaps not as spectacular as one might think. In fact, you spend a lot of time studying files – in my case, these are mainly located in archives in the United States and Great Britain, as these countries are my main areas of focus. These archives are freely accessible, which is regulated by law, as the public has a right to information. Who do you think I've met there! Of course, you won't find out anything about current CIA, NSA or MI6 operations there. 

‘There is a retention period for every document, and for files in the intelligence context, this is usually longer.’

‘Even in “Silk Road”, different services do their own thing, although one might think they are actually on the same side.’

There is a retention period for every document, and for files in the intelligence context, this is usually longer. We are talking about several decades here; sensitive data may still be redacted even after that. However, in my work as a historian, I am less concerned with individual details. It is important to understand how such a service functions, what its task is, how it works, what it is allowed to do, in what environment it operates – and how it cooperates or competes with other services. In ‘Silk Road,’ too, different services do their own thing, even though one might think they are actually on the same side. And to answer the second part of your question: Like the plot of the novel, Max Oster is also a product of my imagination; he is not based on any real person. But of course, knowing what different roles there are in an intelligence service and who is recruited for which job, for example, has helped me. And I already know a few people with a background in intelligence, whom you meet again and again at conferences, for example. I also suspect that a few acquaintances actually work for an agency, even if they don't admit it.

You write in an era that many describe as a ‘turning point’ – marked by global conflicts and uncertainties. How does this mood influence your work? As an author, is it more difficult or more inspiring for you to tell stories in times like these?

‘Politically, something is really shifting at the moment. Great Power Competition is a buzzword, referring to the rivalry between several major powers, which hasn't existed since the end of the Cold War.’

A good question – and not an easy one to answer! With all the upheavals that lie ahead, from a historian's perspective, this is an incredibly exciting time, which will probably be viewed with particular interest in research in a few decades' time. Politically, something is really shifting at the moment. Great Power Competition is a buzzword for this, i.e. the rivalry between several major powers, which has not existed since the end of the Cold War. 

And, of course, these conflicts also provide material for stories. On the other hand, I do wonder whether this will appeal to readers. Reading is always an escape from everyday life, from reality. Do people want to read something for relaxation, to switch off, that they are served up every day in the news anyway? That's why, when I started creative writing, I originally wrote historical novels; that was my escape from everyday life. A crusader novel, for example. But it's still in the drawer. Maybe I'll take it out again soon.

‘And I would prefer it if certain scenarios that I describe in ’Silk Road" did not come to pass. But the chances of that happening are probably higher than I thought in 2023.'

Given the rapid succession of news from Gaza, such as the recent ceasefire agreement and the controversy surrounding Trump's earlier ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan, how do you feel as an author who deals with geopolitical issues when such events influence reality? Has this changed your view of your novel?

As I said, ‘Silk Road’ is fiction. And as such, the book works on its own, which is what it aims to do. The novel is a thriller and a crime novel; there is a crime that needs to be solved and a crime that, without giving too much away, needs to be prevented – geopolitics aside. But one thing is funny – if ‘funny’ is the right word here: When I started working on Silk Road in the spring of 2023, I never thought Trump would be re-elected. I expected Biden to win a second term. The book is about a crumbling transatlantic alliance and a Germany that is turning away from its close ally, the United States, and orienting itself more towards China. And we are seeing something similar happening right now. Trump is abandoning old alliances and threatening even allies with sometimes absurd tariffs, causing chaos on the world markets. As someone interested in politics, this does not leave me cold. And I would prefer it if certain scenarios I describe in ‘Silk Road’ did not come to pass. But the chances of that happening are probably higher than I thought in 2023.

Max Oster, the ex-BND agent, and Laura Schneider, the journalist, are central characters. What makes them special to you? Are you planning to bring Max Oster back in a second instalment? Can we expect a sequel to the story?

I didn't want any shining heroes or Supermen as protagonists. Max Oster is basically the opposite of James Bond. He's not glamorous, he doesn't drive fast cars, he doesn't drink martinis, and as a recovering alcoholic, he doesn't drink at all anymore. So he's an antihero with a troubled past who has to deal with trauma, but who fights his way back into life over the course of the novel. That's what makes him likeable and human to me. Will we see him again? We'd better ask him if he wants to embark on another adventure (laughs). There are certainly plenty of ideas.

‘She puts her finger in the open wound, probes, is annoying – that may not always make her seem likeable, but that is precisely her job as a representative of the fourth estate.’

On the protagonist Laura: How important was it to you to create a strong female character, and how do you see the role of journalism in an age when disinformation is rampant?

Disinformation, whether supposed or true, plays a major role in ‘Silk Road’. Laura Schneider, a young, ambitious journalist who wants only one thing: to shed light on the mysterious events in Hamburg and Berlin, is also affected by this. And she pursues this goal with considerable vehemence and a willingness to take risks, even if she perhaps lacks a little tact, shall we say. She rubs salt into the wound, probes, is annoying – that may not always make her seem likeable, but that is precisely her job as a representative of the fourth estate.

‘And she's not the only strong woman in the novel. Her role may seem a little secondary in ’Silk Road‘, but she's still my personal favourite character. If you want to know who I'm talking about, you'll have to pick up the book.’

She is younger than Oster and, in some ways, a little more naive, but she is certainly full of energy and gets things moving. And she is not the only strong woman in the novel. Her role may seem a little secondary in ‘Silk Road’, but she is still my personal favourite character. If you want to know who I'm talking about, you'll have to pick up the book.

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Dorothea Winter ©Private