Erzählungen im Gerichtssaal: Literarisierte Narration in russischen Plädoyers 1864–1917

This thesis examines defence pleas in Russian courts from the period following the legal reform of 1864 until the revolution of 1917. From a literary and cultural studies perspective, it explores the phenomenon that, in the courtrooms of the time, defence lawyers often narrated rather than argued. Using selected striking case studies, it examines the extent of the literary nature of these forms of narration by analysing the speeches with the tools of literary studies to determine the manner in which narrative techniques were used.