Mark Lawson's history of Europe seen through the pages of crime fiction investigates the ideas of guilt, responsibility and justice in the writing of Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921-1990).

Durrenmatt's Inspector Barlach books were published in Switzerland in 1950 and 1951 using elements of the crime genre in plays including The Pledge and The Visit.

Theatre directors Josie Rourke and Simon McBurney, Hollywood scriptwriters Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Olson-Kromolowski; Professor and crime blogger Katharina Hall and German lawyer turned bestselling author Ferdinand von Schirach share their passion for Dürrenmatt's clear-eyed depictions of the impact of German and Swiss actions in the Second World War.

Producer: Robyn Read

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012. Show less