Crime Fiction in German is the first volume in English to offer a comprehensive overview of German-language crime fiction from its origins in the early nineteenth century to its vibrant growth in the new millennium. As well as introducing readers to crime fiction from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the former East Germany, the volume expands the notion of a German crime-writing tradition by investigating Nazi crime fiction, Jewish-German crime fiction, Turkish-German crime fiction and the Afrika-Krimi. Other key areas, including the West German social crime novel, women’s crime writing, regional crime fiction, historical crime fiction and the Fernsehkrimi (TV crime drama) are also explored, highlighting the genre’s distinctive features in German-language contexts.

The volume includes a map of German-speaking Europe, a chronology of crime publishing milestones, extracts from primary texts, and an annotated bibliography of print and online resources in English and German.

Contents

Map of German-speaking areas in Europe
Crime Fiction in German Chronology

1. Crime Fiction in German: Key Concepts, Developments and Trends, Katharina Hall:
Der Krimi; The pioneers (1828–1933); Crime fiction under National Socialism (1933–45); Post-war crime narratives (1945–59) and East German crime fiction (1949–70); The West German Soziokrimi (1960–) and further East German crime fiction (1971–89); Turkish-German crime fiction and the Frauenkrimi (1980–); Historical crime fiction, regional crime fiction and the rise of the Afrika-Krimi (1989–); Crime fiction of the new millennium and the lacuna of Jewish-German crime fiction (available Open Access at Swansea University)

2. The Emergence of Crime Fiction in German: An Early Maturity, Mary Tannert

3. Austrian Crime Fiction: Experimentation, Critical Memory and Humour, Marieke Krajenbrink

4. Swiss Crime Fiction: Loosli, Glauser, Dürrenmatt and Beyond, Martin Rosenstock

5. Der Afrika-Krimi: German Crime Fiction in Africa, Julia Augart

6. Der Frauenkrimi: Women's Crime Writing in German, Faye Stewart

7. Historical Crime Fiction in German: The Turbulent Twentieth Century, Katharina Hall

8. Der Fernsehkrimi: A Short History of Television Crime Drama in German, Katharina Hall

Annotated Bibliography of Resources on German-language Crime Fiction, Katharina Hall

‘Katharina Hall’s knowledge of and enthusiasm for crime fiction in translation is prodigious, but (crucially) it is matched by her nonpareil analytic skills. This combination, when focused on her particular speciality of genre fiction from Germany, makes her the perfect editor for and contributor to Crime Fiction in German: Der Krimi. The book becomes at a stroke the definitive modern guide to the subject – scholarly, lively and accessible.’

Barry Forshaw, author of Euro Noir and Nordic Noir