Death in the Tiergarten: Murder and Criminal Justice in the Kaiser's Berlin (Harvard Univ. Press 2004; WorldCat) is a really nice history of the courts of Berlin, Germany's capital since 1871. It stands out in the genre of court histories because it's very well written; it looks at the German capital courts from 1891-1913, the first book in English to do so; and it captures scenes and sayings of remarkable lawyers, judges, and parties in a review of the most sensational cases.
One fascinating example is the murder of a night watchman by a pimp and a prostitute, Hermann and Anna Heinze. Their case roiled the country and raises many of the same questions we face today. Then there is the case of the millionaire banker who used procuresses to lure very young girls into his bed. He was put on trial twice. Sound familiar? But the most interesting case of all was that of Miss Hedwig Muller. She had two lovers. One was a wealthy man. The other proved a pest. Guess which one she shot in the head? Tried for the crime, she turned the heads of those who judged her. The verdict? "Strikingly Beautiful!"
Based on archives, court records, and newspapers, this book is original and as interesting as a dense legal history can get, a treat for those of us who are into such things, and for that - dem Autor sagen wir - Danke!
Comments