The Cold Room

A nearly seventeen-year-old who travels from England to East Berlin to live with her estranged father. She experiences two realities—the modern 1980s Carla and the revived memory of Christa Bruckner from 1936—leading her to care for Erich, a Jewish dissident hiding in the wall. Her journey confronts trauma, family secrets, and the pull between innocence and knowledge.

Carla’s father, a man who lives on Central Park West and arrives in Berlin with a history tied to his research. He tries to guide Carla through the strange, unsettling events while managing his own complicated past. His actions reveal parental protectiveness strained by suspicion and memory.

Hugh’s thirty-year-old girlfriend who recommends Frau Hoffman’s inn and becomes a practical ally to Carla. She helps navigate the city’s dangers and supports Carla as she uncovers disturbing truths behind the hotel’s quiet exterior.

A Jewish dissident hiding in the cold room beneath the inn. He forms a fragile bond with Carla as she sneaks him food and supplies. His presence anchors the 1936 timeline and the peril faced by hidden victims under the regime.

The 1936 identity of Carla, daughter of Wilhelm Bruckner. Christa endures abuse and fear under her father, carving names into the wall with Erich. Her memories and fate illuminate the brutality of the Nazi era and its lingering echo in Carla’s present.

Inn owner whose involvement exposes Erich to the Gestapo. She embodies survival within the system, displaying shame when the truth surfaces and manipulating events to maintain control over others’ fates.

A Nazi official who interrogates Carla and later plays a decisive role in the pursuit and killing of Erich. His presence embodies the regime’s brutality and the enforcement of ideological conformity.

A member of the Nazi Party and the father figure who commits acts of violence against Christa. His coercive power and brutality illustrate the regime’s feared domestic violence and oppression.

A physician called to examine Carla; his clinical, detached assessment contrasts with the emotional truth Carla seeks to reveal. His presence marks the moment of external authority challenging personal narratives.