Ignition

Alexander Alten

Oct 2024 · Alexander Alten

About this ebook

Alexander was born and raised in Dresden when Germany was divided. He was part of the peaceful resistance that helped unite the country. He and his family was monitored by the Stasi (Staatssicherheit), as he later discovered in his secret police file. At the young age of 19, he was detained during the demonstrations in Dresden and subjected to extensive questioning at the Bautzner Strasse interrogation station before being transferred to the high-security facility in Bautzen, known as the "Gelbe Elend" (Yellow Misery). This facility housed over 6,000 political prisoners at the time. As the GDR started to crumble, a few days before the wall got torn down, Alexander was released on temporary probation. Following reunification, he joined the German Air Force to defend the now-united country. He witnessed the start of the Afghan war and the Balkan conflict, all while continuing to write poems and songs during his 12 years of service. Leaving the military, Alexander transitioned into the tech world, building startups and living in Palo Alto, CA, and Austin, TX, before returning to Europe. He is a father of two beautiful daughters and has been married to his second wife for over 12 years. But he never lost his sharp tongue and unfiltered quill, not always to the amusement of his wife, she loves most of his dark humor and sarcasm, sometimes. Alexander has loved telling stories and writing lyrics, short stories, and poems since his youth. His writing is engaging, direct, and unique, immediately pulling readers into the worlds he creates.