Sophie Sumburane's crime novel and ARD TV feature examine real DDR-era violence

Sophie Sumburane has produced two distinct works exploring a real series of violent crimes that occurred in Brandenburg around the fall of the Berlin Wall. Her crime novel "Keine besonderen Auffälligkeiten" and a three-part TV feature for ARD's Crime Time series both investigate the same historical case. The crimes began in late October 1989 in Deetz, Brandenburg, with the murder and rape of a 51-year-old woman. This initial attack marked the start of a series of murders and assaults that continued through summer 1991. Sumburane's research for the novel was accompanied by a television crew, resulting in parallel examinations of violence with different emphases. The TV feature, titled "Rosa Riese," remains available in the ARD media library until February 2028. Both works address themes of real violence, mistrust, and misogyny during the transitional period following the Wall's collapse. They also consider the role of tabloid media in covering these events.