Murder in the Alpenglow: Swiss Crime Writing in the German Language

Abstract

Paul Ott was born in1955 in eastern Switzerland and grew upinSt. Gall. Since 1974 hehas lived inBern. He worked for twenty-five years asateacher in avocational school and has written fiction under the pseudonym of Paul Lascaux for thirty years. His culinary thrillers, Salztranen (2008), Wursthimmel (2008), Feuerwasser (2009), and Gnadenbrot (2010), feature the detective pair Heinrich Muller and Nicole Himmel. In addition, hehas organized several events featuring English-speaking and East European writers for the 201 1 Mordstage International in Zurich (June 7-11). Although tion crime in date German journalistic from by about Swiss accounts 1810, writers crime of didn't true ficcrime datefrom about1810, crime fiction inGerman bySwisswriters didn't really beginuntil the1920swiththeimportant dadaistWalter Serner (1889-1942). Serner was a major figure attheCabaret Voltaire inZurich, Sabina Alternatt penning oneofitsprimary manifestoes. Hewrote a number ofcrime stories andthe novel DieTigerin (TheTigress). In1926 PaulAltheer (1887-1959) created the antihero detective BobStoll inthe pioneering novelDie13Katastrophen (The13Catastrophes ); however, thefirst proper mystery novel isDieSchattmattbauern (TheFarmers oftheShadowyMeadow )byCarlAlbert Loosli(1877-1959). In the1930s, Friedrich Glauser(1896-1938) becamethefirst great Swisscrime writer, pickinguponthethemes ofthemarginalized human present in theearlier writers, but also drawMartin Suter ingheavily onhisownexperiences withaddiction , suicideattempts, andpsychiatry. TheGermanmystery writers' organization Das Syndikat named the most eminent German-language crime writing awardtoday after Glauser, eventhough heinspired the Swiss trend toward regionalism by <£ < z z < o (o x CL 24 1 World Literature Today usingBern as hissetting. Thistrend canbe seen amongcurrent writers: SamJaun, PaulLascaux, and Stefan Hanrti concentrate on Bern;Roger Graf,StephanPortner, SabinaAltermatt, and Gerlinde Michelsettheir fiction inZurich; and Hansjorg Schneider usesBasel. Inthewar-torn decadethat followed Glauser 'srise, Switzerland wasanisland ofbookpublishing . Thefirst female crime writers emerged with Gertrud Lendorff (1900-1986) andtheeven more influential Kaethe Baumann (1914-95), who hadfled theThird Reich in1939. Baumann often adapted German locations andmemories toSwitzerland . Swisspublishers alsoissued many translatedEnglish andAmerican crime novels, whose presence influenced theshapeofcrime writing in thepostwar years. Today, American andEnglish authors areprominent inSwissbookstores, along with Scandinavian authors. One of Switzerland's mostnotablecrime writers emerged inthe1950s. Friedrich Diirrenmatt (1921-90) isbestknown for hisprovocative plays, particularly DerBesuch der alten Dame(The Visit), buthe also wrote three important crime novels: DerRichter und sein Henker (1952; Eng.The Judge andHisHangman, 1983), DerVerdacht (1951; Eng.TheSuspicion, 1983),and Das Versprechen (1958;Eng.ThePledge, 1959). Likehisplays, his Gerlinde Michel crimenovelsdeal withcomplex moralissues. Notlong before hisdeath, hewrote a fourth crime novel,Justiz (Justice), whichbitterly attacked Switzerland's political andlegalsystem. Building ontheheritage ofDiirrenmatt and Glauser, Swisscrime writing hasboomedinthe ESSAY lasttenyears. Yearbyyear, between forty and fifty titles arepublished, withvarying commercialsuccess . Mostsubgenres ofthecrime novel arewellrepresented, although historical mysteries arenotas popularas they areelsewhere. Building on the heritage of Durrenmatt and Glauser, Swiss crime writing has boomed in the last ten years. Year by year, between forty and fiftytitles are published, with varying commercial success. Swiss-German writers arealsowinning increasinginternational recognition and majorprizes. SamJaun, Hansjorg Schneider, andMartin Suter haveall won Glausers forbestnovel.In 1996 Peter Zeindler (b.1934)ofZurich was awarded a GlauserPrizeforLifetime Achievement in crimewriting, perhapsthehighest awardthe German mystery worldoffers. Mystery festivals suchas theBurgdorfer Krimitage ("Burgdorf Mystery Days") and theMordstage ("Murder Days,"butalso "Funniest Days")spotlight the genre. Thisyear theMordstage willhavea truly Peter Zeindler international flavor as ithoststheInternational Association ofCrime Writers inZurich with discussions onvarious themes incrime writing and specific events featuring Scandinavian, Eastern European, Greek, andTurkish crime writers. Bern Titles Available inEnglish Friedrich Diirrenmatt, The Visit, tr. Joel Agee (Grove Press, 2010) Friedrich Glauser's series: Thumbprint, InMatteo's Realm, and Fever, tr. Mike Mitchell (Bitter Lemon Press, 2004-06) Martin Suter, ADealwith the Devil, tr. Peter Millar (Arcadia, 2009) MayJune 201 1125 z o z X o < 0£ <£ to z o£ cc 'LO 3 ...