Crime Week

From January 26 to 31, 2026, the Karlsruhe City Library will once again host the popular Crime Week, opening its doors to a diverse program centered around suspense, mysteries, and crime. The event kicks off on January 27 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM with the Crime Book Club in the reading café of the central library, led by Jörg Mattusch from the Stephanus Bookstore. During this session, new authors will be introduced, reading experiences shared, and lively discussions held. On January 28, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, there will be a workshop with crime author Dr. Rahsan Dogan, who will provide insights into the development of exciting crime ideas and their implementation. That same evening, Dr. Dogan will read from her work "The Curse of the Waldensians" from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the reading café, a story marked by dark family secrets and moral questions. On January 29, Simon Wasner will present his crime novel "Murder with a View" from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the reading café, while simultaneously, from 6:45 PM to 9:30 PM, a pen-and-paper adventure titled "The Smoldering Forest" will take place. January 30 will feature interactive formats: a crime quiz in the children's and youth library will invite young fans aged eight and up to participate from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, before the improvisational theater Schmitz’ Katze develops and solves a criminal case with the audience on stage from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM in the reading café. The Crime Week will conclude on January 31 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM with a film screening of "Hysteria" at the Karlsruhe Cinematheque. The German thriller by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay addresses the filming of a feature film about the far-right arson attack in Solingen in 1993 and raises questions about artistic freedom, representation, and responsibility. With this diverse program, the Karlsruhe City Library offers a week full of mysterious encounters, literary inspiration, and thrilling entertainment that appeals to crime fans of all ages.