Story about a planet in a binary system

Question

I remember a novel (or multiple novels?) set on a planet that is in a binary system. From time to time it is switching the orbit to the other sun, resulting in a long winter. The planet is inhabited by a bioengeneered civilisation, that can turn to long sleeps to survive the winter. Also these people have some sort of genetic memory, they can remember the stuff their ancestors remembered.

Has anyone an idea which novel(s) this are?

Edit: Some more elements I remember. The civilisation was humanlike, but not humans. I think at the end some humans came to the world. There was a second race, more like apes and very primitive, but somehow they were important for survival, don't remember how.

The first part (or novel) told about a civilisation with cars and stuff like that, tech-level like early 20th century. Second part had a more basic civilisation, and I think only in the second part they had genetic memory. I think they smoked something to get in trance and relive memories of their ancestors.

It was claimed, these biology was engineered somehow by another alien race.

Answer 1

sounds like David Zindell's A Requiem for Homo Sapiens Its set on ice planet thousands of years in the future and there are tribes of humans who have chosen to regess and become Neanderthals. One of their children is actually a normal human who decides to go the human city of Neverness when his people die of disease...many adventures follow but at one point the protagonist this human neandethal is able to access the universal memory called the "elder addas" which lets him access memories of others from the past. Thers a prequel story to this trilogy called Neverness (1988)

A Requiem for Homo Sapiens

1. The Broken God (1993) The first book of a trilogy is set in Neverness, legendary City of Light, where inner space and outer space meet. Into its maze of colour-coded streets of ice stumbles a wild boy, starving and grieving, a spear in his hand: Danlo the Wild, a messenger from the deep past of man.

2. The Wild (1995) Neverness is left behind and the galaxy in all its splendour is opened to Danlo's wonder and horror

3. The War in Heaven (1998) Danlo wi Soli Ringess, son of Mallory Ringess, the pilot who became a god, now has the greatest mission of his life to complete. With Bertram Jaspari's evil Architects terrorizing the universe with their killing star - the morrashar - Danlo must somehow try and prevent war in heaven.