Miriam Davoudvandi: Das können wir uns nicht leisten

What It Means to Be Poor in Germany

In this personal and socially relevant book, Miriam Davoudvandi recounts her childhood and adolescence in financially difficult circumstances. In doing so, she makes it clear that poverty means far more than a lack of money: it shapes one’s self-image, relationships with others, and the opportunities available in life.

She candidly shares the experiences that shaped her upbringing—feelings of shame, exclusion, and the constant effort to hide her social background. She describes how it felt not to want to invite friends home because living in public housing might invite prejudice, and how the feeling of not belonging stayed with her for a long time.

Today, Davoudvandi looks back on a remarkable social ascent. She earns more than her parents ever did and has established a successful career. Yet she also shows that the experiences of poverty cannot simply be shaken off. Many deep-seated influences, insecurities, and inner conflicts persist, even long after one’s financial situation has changed. Drawing on her own story, the author explores themes such as classism, social inequality, mental health, family, friendship, and relationships. In doing so, she combines personal experiences with a critical examination of social structures and highlights the hurdles that people from low-income backgrounds must overcome.

The result is an honest and powerful book about background, social mobility, and the extent to which our life paths are shaped by the conditions under which we grow up. At the same time, Miriam Davoudvandi gives a voice to the experiences of many people who are often overlooked in public debates.

Miriam Davoudvandiwasborn in Bucharest in 1992 to a Romanian mother and an Iranian father and grew up in southern Germany. She is a freelance journalist, host, and author. She became known, among other things, for her articles in *Der Spiegel*, *Die Zeit*, and *SZ*, as well as for hosting the successful WDR podcast “Danke, gut,” in which she discusses mental health with prominent guests. She has also published pieces in the bestselling anthology “Unlearn Patriarchy II” and written plays for the theater, including for the Berliner Ensemble.

In cooperation with the Catholic Forum of Thuringia and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Thuringia e.V.