The story centers on the , who have inhabited the island for nearly 300 years. The family serves as a microcosm of the island’s internal struggle:
The daughter who works in an old people's home caring for veteran sailors. She deeply resents the "invading" tourists who turn her culture into folklore. Dörte_Hansen_-_Zur_See_(Ungekürzt).rar
The matriarch who has spent her life waiting—for her husband, for change, and for the preservation of her home. She seeks to turn a stranded whale skeleton into a tourist attraction, highlighting the commodification of the island's history. The story centers on the , who have
The eldest son and a former captain who lost his license. He is haunted by the past and struggles with alcoholism, waiting for a "storm of all storms". The matriarch who has spent her life waiting—for
The father, a former captain who has largely abandoned his family and the sea to live in isolation, observing birds.
The youngest son and the most peaceful member of the family. He is the first man in the lineage who never desired to go to sea, choosing instead to collect flotsam and create art from beach debris. Major Themes Zur See by Dörte Hansen - Goodreads