In the novel, The Onion Cellar is a bar in post-war Germany where people go to share painful memories and cry. While drinking and talking, the clients peel onions, both to make crying easier and to lessen the shame for those afraid to express their feelings openly.
The Onion Cellar, a German pub set in the aftermath of war, serves as a gathering place where people share their painful pasts and shed tears. As they drink and talk, patrons use onions as a coping mechanism, slicing them to make crying easier and to help those who feel ashamed to openly express their emotions.