
audiobook
by Franz Werfel
Nicht der Mörder, der Ermordete ist schuldig
Erster Teil
Zweiter Teil
Dritter Teil
Epilog
A young cadet narrates his cramped existence in a garrison town, where the walls of the barracks echo with drills and his father's stern presence. The father, a hard‑edged officer who fills the air with cigarette smoke, looms over his son’s daily life, shaping a world of strict expectations and little room for tenderness. Sundays become the only breath of freedom, a brief pause in which the harsh routine softens and the cadet can glimpse ordinary pleasures—coffee in a tin bowl, a walk in a garden, the distant strains of a piano song.
The novella paints a vivid portrait of early‑twentieth‑century military culture, capturing the clash between imposed duty and the yearning for personal escape. Through the narrator’s introspective voice, listeners sense the weight of authority, the sting of constant scrutiny, and the fleeting moments of beauty that linger in memory. The story invites reflection on the complexities of family, obedience, and the quiet rebellion that stirs beneath disciplined exterior.
Language
de
Duration
~3 hours (224K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2015-01-11
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1890–1945
A major voice in 20th-century German-language literature, this Prague-born writer moved from Expressionist poetry and drama to sweeping novels shaped by faith, history, and exile. He is especially remembered for The Forty Days of Musa Dagh and The Song of Bernadette.
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