La Loupe Garmisch-Partenkirchen No. 5

Jörg Maurer was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
in 1953, after his A-levels he studied German
literature, English literature, and dramatics in
Munich. He worked as a German teacher at
colleges in Munich for five years and realised his
own productions in several theatres in Munich
later. Afterwards there were many appearances as
musical cabaret artists focusing on cultural satire
as well as several radio broadcasts. Since 2002
Maurer has regularly been publishing short stories
and thrillers. In 2009 his debut thriller “Föhnlage”
(= Foehn conditions) was a great success and
since then there has been a new novel of the series
every year. In spring the 9 th novel titled
“Im Grab schaust du nach oben” (= You’ll be
looking upwards in your grave) was published by
Fischer publishing house.
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L.L. Do you know how the
book is going to end while
you’re in the process of writing
it?
J.M. In case of a thriller you
can’t really avoid that. You write
it starting at the end because
you want it to have an interesting,
surprising ending. So, of
course, I am never surprised by
the outcome – I already know
who the killer is.
L.L. Do tell us a little more
here: what can the readers of
your new book look forward
to?
J.M. Well, there is one thing
I can tell you: the couple of undertakers, Ignaz and Ursel
Grasegger, will have a dangerously central role in the new
thriller that will be published in spring of 2018.
L.L. Aside from the popular series of thrillers you also published
a non-fiction volume called “Bayern für die Hostentasche”
(= Bavaria in your pocket) where you try to explain
the free state’s peculiarities and disprove common assumptions.
You are originally from Bavaria but you often do book
tours all over the entire German-speaking area. Do you feel
like you often have to fight clichés in your private life?
J.M. No. I am the cliché. I wear a single pair of lederhosen
day and night, it’s been in the family for generations, I like
to schuhplattel (i.e. do a traditional folk dance) every full
hour and I yodel whenever I get a chance.
L.L. “Bayern für die Hosentasche” also contains a short
Bavarian language course where you satirically boil everything
down to five rules. What figures or speech and which
word do you think should become more popular outside
of Bavaria too?
J.M. The figures or speech and dialect expressions had
best stay where they first developed. There’s nothing more
embarrassing than when someone like me tries to speak in a
Saxon dialect. And that applies the other way round as well.
And that’s the kind of satirical approach I have in the guide
to being Bavarian.
L.L. You’re a cabaret artist and a writer. Where do these
two facets overlap?
J.M. As a cabaret artist you learn to keep things short and
succinct because a scene usually is no longer than a few
minutes – and that’s something I try to do with my chapters,
too. And a cabaret artist must beware of being dead serious.
A scene should always begin with a smile and end with a
punch line. In between things can get ugly. And that’s exactly
what a series of thrillers is like, too; at least with me.
L.L. What do you like more: writing or reading from your
books?
J.M. Well the two things basically are two disciplines where
the one teaches you about the other. But, of course, my main
enjoyment at the moment is writing.
L.L. You have a thing for extraordinary cuisine. What dish
do you like to impress your loved ones with? And which
dish from your home should one really try?
J.M. There is an extraordinary dish that’s made in the
Werdenfels region, it’s called hoba. It’s a potato dish where
you really have to spend a half hour bent over the pan otherwise
it won’t come out well. I mention the dish in my first
novel, “Föhnlage”, and the appendix even has the recipe in it,
exactly the way my grandfather taught me.
L.L. How do you like to spend your free time in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,
when you’re not busy chasing thugs
in your fantasy?
J.M. Poaching on the southern Schroffenschneide.
Kunst & Kultur
“I think figures of
speech and dialect
expressions
had better stay
where they first
developed.”
“I am the cliché.”
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