They have applied in court for a preliminary injunction against the novel "Innerstädtischer Tod" ("Inner-City Death") by Christoph Peters. Lena and Johann König believe they recognize themselves in the book and see their personal rights violated. One of the novel’s characters is a Berlin gallery owner accused of sexual harassment — similar allegations had previously been made against Johann König. König had partially successfully taken legal action against these accusations.
For the publisher, Luchterhand Verlag, the novel "Innerstädtischer Tod" clearly falls under the constitutionally guaranteed protection of artistic freedom. And author Christoph Peters emphasized in an interview with Deutschlandfunk Kultur that Johann König had not been the model for his character. He said he doesn’t even know König personally. König is famous in the entire art scene for his unique characteristics, the gallery owner in this novel is known for his extremely precise eye. There is, therefore, no risk of confusion.
The last time a violation of personal rights in Germany was deemed more important than artistic freedom was in 2007. Back then, Maxim Biller’s novel "Esra" was banned after a former girlfriend of Biller’s saw herself defamed in the book — the Federal Constitutional Court ruled in her favor.
