Abstract: | Investigations into 404 homicide cases involving 422 perpetrators and 442 victims in the GDR are described as an introduction to a new subject, victimology , dealing with the importance of the relations between perpetrator and victim for the actual crime. Although certain uniform features are apparent, it is evident that relations between perpetrators and victims in the GDR differ considerably from those in other countries, especially in the case of countries with very high homicide rates. |