About the book: 1988 / Böll “intervened” in the Baader-Meinhof affair, one of the most tragic events of the terrorist waves in West Germany, publishing an article in which he sought to counteract the rampant violence, and using the expression “open fascism” in relation to the openly tabloid newspaper Bild. Formal persecution of Böll followed in the Springer press, he was among those “intellectuals” who were most loudly accused of “aiding terrorism”, he was threatened with death, his house was searched, and later a bomb was planted in it. These events were reflected in the story “The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, or How Violence Happens and What It Can Lead to” (1974), although, as usual with Böll, far from directly. He even stated that “to consider this book in connection with the Baader-Meinhof story, in his opinion, is a mistake or a misunderstanding.” However, the book opens with a warning of this kind: “If, in the description of certain journalistic techniques, similarities are revealed with the techniques of the newspaper Bild, this similarity is neither intentional nor accidental, but inevitable.” In connection with Katharina Blum, Böll noted that the writer also has the right to revenge. Apparently, revenge has achieved its goal. This short story, which stands out in its significance from all of Böll’s late work, was a bestseller for a long time after its publication; and all this time, the Springer press, contrary to custom, did not print bestseller lists at all.