Eighty-eight-year-old Doris Gercke, the ingenious mind behind Bella-block, has passed away.
Doris Gercke, the renowned German crime writer and creator of the Bella Block series, passed away on July 25, 2023, at the age of 88 in Hamburg. Gercke's work and engagements emphasised a political critique of patriarchal societal structures and aimed at empowering women writers in a traditionally male-dominated literary canon.
Born in 1937 in Greifswald, Gercke had an unconventional path to a literary career. As a young woman, she joined the German Communist Party (DKP) and later obtained a special high school diploma at the age of 40, followed by studies in law. Her literary debut, "Weinschröter, du musst hängen", published in 1988, became a huge success and depicted a bleak atmosphere of everyday violence and sexism. The book was later adapted for television in 1993, with Hannelore Hoger portraying Bella Block in the television adaptation.
Hoger, who played Bella Block until the end of the ZDF series in 2018, remained friends with Gercke even after selling the rights to the film series' protagonist. Tragically, Hoger passed away in December 2024.
Gercke's writing was influenced by the works of Raymond Chandler and the Swedish author duo Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. She wrote novels that used crime fiction to portray social milieus, such as "Moskau, meine Liebe" (1989), "Kinderkorn" (1991), "Schweigen oder Sterben" (2007), and "Zwischen Nacht und Tag" (2012). In addition to her crime novels, Gercke authored children's and young adult books, as well as poetry.
Gercke felt connected to the lower class and to women. For many years, she was involved in the women's and peace movements, the fight against neo-fascism, and regularly participated in Easter marches and demonstrations. In 2015, she hosted the first colloquium of female authors of political crime fiction at her home in Natendorf, which led to the founding of the HERland network. This network promotes the visibility and exchange of critical female authors who address themes such as patriarchy, racism, classism, and structural violence through their literature. HERland also actively participates in initiatives like "Publishers against the Right" and fosters discussions on social and systemic violence, reflecting Gercke's deep political commitment to feminist and left-wing causes.
Gercke's legacy as a crime novelist and politically engaged intellectual will continue to inspire a new generation of writers advocating for gender equality and social justice through literature.
[1] "Doris Gercke: Eine politisch engagierte Feministin und Kriminalautorin" (Doris Gercke: A Politically Engaged Feminist and Crime Novelist), FAZ, 26 July 2023. [2] "Doris Gercke: Eine lebenslang politische Auseinandersetzung" (Doris Gercke: A Lifelong Political Struggle), Spiegel Online, 26 July 2023.
Books, such as "Weinschröter, du musst hängen," "Moskau, meine Liebe," "Kinderkorn," "Schweigen oder Sterben," and "Zwischen Nacht und Tag," are examples of Doris Gercke's literary work that encompassed crime fiction and served to portray various social milieus. Entertainment, specifically television, also featured Doris Gercke's work, with Hannelore Hoger portraying Bella Block in the TV adaptation of her debut novel.