Der Richter und sein Henker Der Verdacht

Author text
Friedrich Dürrenmatt was born on 5 January 1921 in Konolfingen in the canton of Bern as the son of a priest. He studied theology, literature, philosophy and natural sciences in Zurich and Bern. Actually he wanted to become a painter, but he was already writing stories in the 1940s. In 1947 his drama 'It is written' caused a theatre scandal. From 1952 Dürrenmatt lived in Neuchâtel. With the drama 'The Visit of the Old Lady' (1956) he had a world success. In 1968 he became theatre director in Basel. During this time he wrote many new versions of his older works. Friedrich Dürrenmatt died on 14 December 1990 in Neuchâtel.
His narrative works are often detective stories, and his dramas are often tragicomedies with elements of satire, farce, and black humor. A central theme of his works is power and the question of responsibility in a seemingly chaotic world.
In 1986 Friedrich Dürrenmatt was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize.

Flap text
"The Judge and his Executioner": Inspector Bärlach is terminally ill, and there is not much time left to convict the criminal Gastmann. So a murder (which Gastmann did not commit) offers him an opportunity... The Suspicion': Inspector Bärlach lies in hospital and sees the picture of the notorious concentration camp doctor Nehle in a magazine. Bärlach suspects that Nehle is identical with the director of a private clinic in Zurich...