„Die Schweiz - ein Gefängnis"? Zeit- und Gesellschaftskritik in den Kriminalromanen „Wachtmeister Studer“ von Friedrich Glauser und „Der Richter und
„Die Schweiz - ein Gefängnis"? Criticism of contemporary society and politics in the detective novels “Thumbprint” by Friedrich Glauser and “The Judge

Summary/Abstract: This essay analyses, with particular reference to Friedrich Dürrenmatt's speech “Die Schweiz — ein Gefangnis”[Switzerland - a Prison] and also to his criticism of the Swiss Confederation expressed in other speeches and essays, aspects of the detective novels “Thumbprint” (“Wachtmeister Studer”, 1936) by Friedrich Glauser and “The Judge and his Hangman” (“Der Richter und sein Henker”, 1952) by Friedrich Dürrenmatt which deal critically with contemporary social issues. The essay points out that Glauser, who is little known even today and who, in his detective novels, made use of his own difficult experiences with his family and with his country, had an obvious influence on the conception of Dürrenmatt's detective novels, even though the latter denied this. Yet several striking parallels between the novels under discussion tend to demonstrate the contrary. These parallels are merely flagged up in this essay, however, whilst the main emphasis is on the criticism of Switzerland which, in both novels, basically concurs.

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