"Trio with Tiger"

Text: Undine Kugler | Event Management Consultant, VBKI

In her new novel Trio mit Tiger (Trio with Tiger), Marianne Ludes focuses on the lives of Max and Mathilde "Quappi" Beckmann in exile in Amsterdam. The book is based on intensive research and access to previously unpublished diaries by Quappi, which provide a particularly detailed insight into the artist couple's life together during the years of persecution. Literary critic Denis Scheck described the novel as "one of the most important new releases of the year."

In conversation with Jörg Thadeusz, Ludes talked about her path to becoming an author and the creation of the novel. In Trio mit Tiger, Ludes intertwines several narrative levels: the Beckmanns' everyday life under the conditions of war and exile, the political constraints under which Max Beckmann suffers, and the role of Quappi, who holds their life together and supports his artistic work. A special tension arises through the character of art historian Erhard Göpel, who acquires art for the planned "Führer Museum" on behalf of the Nazi regime and embodies the moral ambivalence of the time.

However, the focus is less on the famous artist than on Quappi Beckmann herself. The narrative, told from Quappi's first-person perspective, creates a special sense of closeness and authenticity. Ludes described Quappi's life as a form of devotion and self-sacrifice for unbreakable love—an attitude that seems strange today, but which, in her view, should be understood as an expression of fulfillment.

A question from the audience addressed this topic directly: "Did Max Beckmann love his wife as well?" Ludes openly admitted that she could not say for sure—and that she deliberately left this open in the novel. However, she believes that he "loved Quappi very much in his own way and made her happy."

The evening at the VBKI made it clear: "Trio mit Tiger" is much more than a historical novel. It deals with questions of freedom, loyalty, and artistic integrity under political pressure—topics that are still relevant today.