Jürgen Kehrer
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Kehrer is a graduated educationalist who is known as a German author
whose success led to a substantial change in German crime fiction and who brought a new industry to his chosen home town Münster
.
, which is coined by agriculture
. Like many academics of his generation
he was attracted by journalism
and worked 14 years as a journalist
and editor
before he decided to publish his first novel. He got in contact with a publishing house in the Ruhr area which had just established a new kind of crime fiction called "Lokalkrimi". This sub genre
was characterised by crime stories that took place in rather rural and unspectacular areas of Germany
. Instead of trying to mimic American crime fiction
these author
s went their own path. Kehrer's "Und die Toten lässt man ruhen" ("And the dead ones are left in peace") was published in 1990. It avoided all clichés and described a private detective who was neither heroic nor armed. The following mystery novels
about private detective Wilsberg harvested an increasing interest in his adventures. Since Kehrer created suspense without violence Germany's ZDF
found his oeuvre appropriate for their understanding of quality entertainment and in 1995 they broadcast a first TV feature film about detective Wilsberg. The fact that in the novels Wilsberg is going through many substantial, nearly epic personal changes made it difficult to create a TV series on these grounds. Eventually a concept and a new actor (Leonard Lansink) for the principal role were found. The original character changed in many respects when he was adaptated for the TV screen, a fate that befell already for example Arsène Lupin
and The Saint
, but Jürgen Kehrer endorsed the TV series Wilsberg
by even appearing in cameo
roles. So unlike Georges Descrières
or Roger Moore
the German actor Leonard Lansink is appreciated by all fans of the protagonist in question. Jürgen Kehrer moved on, publishing non-fiction books (as he had already done in 1985) and novels without Wilsberg. Like Sir Conan Doyle he has even published a number of historic novels.
and an Anglo-Saxon protagonist. Kehrer revealed that this was a misbelief.
Besides the landscape of German crime fiction also Münster and its reception throughout Germany have evolved. Film industry
has become a lasting part of Münster's economy
. This is underpinned by another crime fiction series within Tatort
that likewise presents Münster. Tourists coming to Münster for sightseeing can book guided tours that take account of Kehrer's novels and its adaptations.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
whose success led to a substantial change in German crime fiction and who brought a new industry to his chosen home town Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
.
Life
Jürgen Kehrer was born in the Ruhr region and lived in this very metropolitan part of North Rhine-Westphalia until he moved eventually to the Münster regionMünster (region)
Münster is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north of the state, and named after the city of Münster. It includes the area which in medieval times was known as the Dreingau....
, which is coined by agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Like many academics of his generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
he was attracted by journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and worked 14 years as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
before he decided to publish his first novel. He got in contact with a publishing house in the Ruhr area which had just established a new kind of crime fiction called "Lokalkrimi". This sub genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
was characterised by crime stories that took place in rather rural and unspectacular areas of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Instead of trying to mimic American crime fiction
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
these author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
s went their own path. Kehrer's "Und die Toten lässt man ruhen" ("And the dead ones are left in peace") was published in 1990. It avoided all clichés and described a private detective who was neither heroic nor armed. The following mystery novels
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
about private detective Wilsberg harvested an increasing interest in his adventures. Since Kehrer created suspense without violence Germany's ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
found his oeuvre appropriate for their understanding of quality entertainment and in 1995 they broadcast a first TV feature film about detective Wilsberg. The fact that in the novels Wilsberg is going through many substantial, nearly epic personal changes made it difficult to create a TV series on these grounds. Eventually a concept and a new actor (Leonard Lansink) for the principal role were found. The original character changed in many respects when he was adaptated for the TV screen, a fate that befell already for example Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin (TV series)
Arsène Lupin is a French TV show which was co-produced with German, Canadian, Belgian, Dutch, Swiss, Italian and Austrian TV stations. It was only loosely based on Maurice Leblancs novels....
and The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, but Jürgen Kehrer endorsed the TV series Wilsberg
Wilsberg (TV series)
Wilsberg is a TV series based on novels published about a private detective named George Wilsberg. In 1995, five years after the release of the first novel, Joachim Krol played him in a TV feature film. Another three years later the second TV feature film was aired, this time starring George...
by even appearing in cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
roles. So unlike Georges Descrières
Georges Descrières
Georges Descrières is a French actor. He has appeared in 52 films and television shows between 1954 and 1996. He starred alongside Anna Karina in the 1962 film Sun in Your Eyes and portrayed the gentleman-burglar Arsène Lupin in an internationally successful TV series.-Selected filmography:* The...
or Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
the German actor Leonard Lansink is appreciated by all fans of the protagonist in question. Jürgen Kehrer moved on, publishing non-fiction books (as he had already done in 1985) and novels without Wilsberg. Like Sir Conan Doyle he has even published a number of historic novels.
Impact
Kehrer's success has inspired numerous authors to write their own novels about local private detectives and journalists who investigate in the author's region. Hitherto it had been a popular belief that a German crime fiction author could only succeed with an English pen namePen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
and an Anglo-Saxon protagonist. Kehrer revealed that this was a misbelief.
Besides the landscape of German crime fiction also Münster and its reception throughout Germany have evolved. Film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
has become a lasting part of Münster's economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
. This is underpinned by another crime fiction series within Tatort
Tatort
Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss , crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF 2 in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland...
that likewise presents Münster. Tourists coming to Münster for sightseeing can book guided tours that take account of Kehrer's novels and its adaptations.