READINGS: CRIME STORIES

General Foundation

The course is also offered to exchange programme students.

Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of the seminar, students will be able to: 1. Recognize the literary short forms of the crime genre and identify key narrative techniques, structures, and methods of creating suspense. 2. Identify central features of the crime story (e.g., perpetrator–victim dynamics, detective figure, resolution) and place them in a literary and cultural context. 3. Develop and present individual analytical theses on short crime stories in a clear and persuasive manner, focusing on a specific interpretive aspect of the text (e.g., narrative perspective, setting, character constellation, motifs). 4. Compose a structured and academically sound thesis handout, with proper use of scholarly references and coherent argumentation. 5. Strengthen discussion skills by participating actively in group discussions, formulating questions, and examining texts from multiple interpretive angles.

Kriminalgeschichten: Analyzing Short Crime Fiction Crime fiction is one of the most widely read and culturally influential literary genres of the 20th and 21st centuries – not only in the form of novels but also as short stories. This seminar focuses on short crime narratives by German-speaking and international authors, exploring how crime is not only a narrative device but also a mirror of societal, psychological, and linguistic structures. Students will learn to identify and analyze key features of the short crime story, including suspense-building techniques, narrative perspective, the roles of victim and perpetrator, narrative pacing, and plot resolution. Emphasis is placed on the formal structure, stylistic devices, and symbolic elements used in these texts, as well as on the broader question of how crime fiction reflects cultural anxieties, moral dilemmas, and systems of power. The seminar also aims to strengthen students’ skills in literary analysis and academic communication. Through short analyses, thesis papers, and oral presentations, students are encouraged to approach each story from a focused analytical perspective and to present their interpretations in a clear, structured, and critical manner.

05-08-2025