The German Underworld - Rambling Readers

288 pages

English language

Published by Routledge.

ISBN:: 978-0-415-00367-4

(1 review)

This book, which was first published in 1988, deals with the neglected history of the lowest layers of German society, of marginal, outcast and deviant groups such as arsonists, witches, bandits, infanticides, poachers, murderers, prostitutes, vagrants and thieves, from the end of the thirteenth century to the middle of the twentieth. This book is ideal for students of history, particularly the German history.

1 edition

Jürgen Hubert reviewed The German Underworld by Richard J. Evans

Outside of Society

5 stars

As a student of German folk tales, I am always trying to broaden my understanding of German culture and society in past centuries. "The German Underworld - Deviants and Outcasts in German History" was thus a good opportunity for further research

The book is a collection of essays discussing "criminality" in various forms in German history, starting with the late Middle Ages and ending in the immediate post-WWII era. Some of the highlights were:

Details on the "Mordbrenner" ("Murder Arsonist") panics of the 16th century, where both Protestant and Catholic rulers and their subjects believed that "the other side" was hiring vagrants to set their cities ablaze. I had heard of the term as such, but I did not know its history.
Infanticide trials in 18th century Germany, which included discussion on the differences how various regions in Germany treated unwed mothers.
Poaching in Bavaria in the wake of the …

As a student of German folk tales, I am always trying to broaden my understanding of German culture and society in past centuries. "The German Underworld - Deviants and Outcasts in German History" was thus a good opportunity for further research

The book is a collection of essays discussing "criminality" in various forms in German history, starting with the late Middle Ages and ending in the immediate post-WWII era. Some of the highlights were:

Details on the "Mordbrenner" ("Murder Arsonist") panics of the 16th century, where both Protestant and Catholic rulers and their subjects believed that "the other side" was hiring vagrants to set their cities ablaze. I had heard of the term as such, but I did not know its history.
Infanticide trials in 18th century Germany, which included discussion on the differences how various regions in Germany treated unwed mothers.
Poaching in Bavaria in the wake of the 1848 revolution, where the rural population believed they had finally attained the right to hunt, while the authorities were trying to suppress it.
How the Third Reich dealt with vagrants during its reign. This is highly relevant due to the increasingly harsh anti-homeless measures (and panics) in various countries - I fear that history may repeat itself.
The social disintegration of Germany and German law in the immediate aftermath of WWII. Well worth studying for anyone who is interested in how social cohesion breaks down after wars!

To sum it up, this book is highly recommended to anyone who is either interested in German history or how society deals with its outcasts in general.