Kohlhaas, an honest citizen, is treated badly. Determined to defend himself against injustice and state arbitrariness, he presses charges. He waits in vain for redress. Driven by rage and despair, he unleashes a stampede for justice. But Kohlhaas is not only a victim, his desire for revenge also turns him into a cruel perpetrator. At the end of his journey is his own death and that of many innocent people. Wars and revolutions, upheavals and political decisions always affect the weakest members of a society. Those who have no lobby are sidelined. Heinrich von Kleist’s mesmerizing tale is one of the most fervent fantasies of violence in German literature and is still relevant today.