
Death in the Rubble
The Elisabeth Kusian Murders in 1949 Berlin
Richard Bodek(Author)
University of Toronto Press
Will be published approx. on 30. June 2026
Book
Hardback
356 pages
978-1-4875-5290-9 (ISBN)
Description
In 1949, the year of the Berlin airlift and the founding of the two post-war German states, Elisabeth Kusian (nurse, black marketeer, morphine and methamphetamine addict, and pathological liar) garroted and dismembered two people in a mini crime spree. Her actions both fascinated and terrified the public - how could this woman, a nurse, commit such a violent act?
West Berlin detectives attempted to run an efficient investigation under new democratic rules. Their East Berlin counterparts, newly structured along Soviet lines, employed their restricted resources to solve the case and prove the advantages of their socialist system. Both tried to use the investigation to demonstrate their distance from the Third Reich and build a brighter future.
Based on the true story of Elisabeth Kusian, Death in the Rubble explores shifting identities, evolving gender expectations, post-fascist politics and norms, and the violence lurking beneath a city struggling to redefine itself.
West Berlin detectives attempted to run an efficient investigation under new democratic rules. Their East Berlin counterparts, newly structured along Soviet lines, employed their restricted resources to solve the case and prove the advantages of their socialist system. Both tried to use the investigation to demonstrate their distance from the Third Reich and build a brighter future.
Based on the true story of Elisabeth Kusian, Death in the Rubble explores shifting identities, evolving gender expectations, post-fascist politics and norms, and the violence lurking beneath a city struggling to redefine itself.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
10 b&w illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
1 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4875-5290-9 (9781487552909)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
10/2025
University of Toronto Press
€21.50
Available immediately
Person
Richard Bodek is a professor of history at the College of Charleston.
Content
Table of Berlin Police Ranks
List of Figures, Images, and Maps
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Who Was Elisabeth Kusian?
2. The Seidelmann Case
3. The Murder of Doris Merten
4. Building the Case: Berlin's Police Departments Investigate Elisabeth Kusian
5. Finalizing the Case: Berlin's Police Departments Finish with Elisabeth Kusian
6. The Trial of Elisabeth Kusian
Conclusion
Bibliography
List of Figures, Images, and Maps
Acknowledgments
Prologue
1. Who Was Elisabeth Kusian?
2. The Seidelmann Case
3. The Murder of Doris Merten
4. Building the Case: Berlin's Police Departments Investigate Elisabeth Kusian
5. Finalizing the Case: Berlin's Police Departments Finish with Elisabeth Kusian
6. The Trial of Elisabeth Kusian
Conclusion
Bibliography