Von Anselm von Feuerbach zu Jack the Ripper

Recht und Kriminalität im 19. Jahrhundert. Ein Literaturbericht

Abstract

This survey discusses recent studies on the history of crime and criminal law in 19th century Europe. At the same time it opens up for new perspectives on the history of crime and law – perspectives which allow us to challenge the master narrative of the modern legal state’s development. The article argues that future studies should focus on the processes that lead to legal action. Prosecution attorneys, experts (i.e. physicians) and journalists are only some of the agents who participate in the dispute process in court. The structural circumstances of their actions should be analyzed in order to understand legal action as dispute process – a term which was first developed by the anthropology of law.