Leonberg as a literary setting: where fiction meets history

LEONBERG — Anyone strolling through the streets of Leonberg might never guess that these very places have become the backdrop to a fantasy adventure. In her novel «LeoZeit: Schatten», the Leonberg author Anna-Mariia Kostiuk turns familiar corners of the town into magical settings — and in doing so weaves present and past together in surprising ways.

The Pomeranzengarten — where it all begins

In the story, the scent of bitter oranges is far more than a fragrance: it is Alicia’s magical guide between the ages. Leonberg’s famous Pomeranzengarten, set high above the town, becomes the place in the novel where the boundaries between 2025 and 1614 blur. What is a popular destination for an outing today becomes, in the story, a gateway to another era.

The castle — seat of the duchess

Leonberg Castle plays a central role in the novel as the residence of Duchess Sibylla von Anhalt — a historical figure who really did live in Leonberg in the 17th century. In Alicia’s world, the castle becomes the stage for courtly intrigue and mysterious encounters across the centuries.

Market square — the heart of the old town

Leonberg’s market square, with its picturesque half-timbered houses, also finds its place in the story. What is today the lively centre of the town becomes, on Alicia’s journey through time, a medieval marketplace where life in the year 1614 unfolds. The historic fountain, the narrow lanes and the town church — all of them stand as silent witnesses to both eras.

The town church — silent witness to two eras

The Protestant town church, whose origins reach back to the 13th century, is one of the oldest buildings in Leonberg. In the novel it becomes a silent witness to both eras — a place that stood in 1614 just as it stands today. For Alicia, the church becomes an anchor in time: it is here that she feels the bond between the centuries most strongly.

The town library — knowledge as the key

For Alicia, the Stadtbücherei Leonberg, the town library, is more than just a place of books. Here she begins to unravel the secrets of the past and finds the first clues to the seven magical petals she must gather on her journey. What in the real world is a modern place of knowledge becomes, in the story, the starting point of a voyage of discovery through the centuries.

Nature as a refuge

Leonberg’s green oases — the town park with its hidden waterfalls and flowering meadows — become Alicia’s places of retreat in the novel. Here she gathers strength between her journeys through time; here she finds calm in the midst of the adventure.

A love letter to Leonberg

«LeoZeit: Schatten» is more than a dark parallel-world novel — it is a literary love letter to the town of Leonberg. Anna-Mariia Kostiuk invites her readers to see the town’s familiar places with new eyes and to discover the history that lies sleeping within its walls.

The book, a good 350 pages long, has since been published in hardcover.

More about the author and her projects: amkostiuk.com
Illustrations and art by Vitalii Kostiuk.