Character Relationship Map: Frieda's Case

Characters

• Frieda Keller (played by Julia Buchmann) — protagonist

  Frieda is an unmarried, impoverished mother whose young son is found dead in a forest near St. Gallen. She admits killing him and describes his hunger, illness, and the contempt he faced, saying she b...

• Walter Gmür (played by Stefan Merki) — protagonist

  Walter is Frieda Keller’s defense attorney. He challenges the assumptions behind the prosecution and argues that law and public morality treat women and men unequally, particularly in cases involving...

• Arnold Janggen (played by Maximilian Simonischek) — supporting

  Arnold is the prosecutor in Frieda Keller’s trial. He insists that the court must judge the killing under the law, placing him in opposition to defense attorney Walter Gmür’s challenge to the social a...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Frieda Keller → Walter Gmür (Professional Defense Attorney And Client) — Walter argues for a reduced sentence and a psychiatric assessment, later seeking Arnold Janggen's help to save Frieda's life.

  Walter Gmür acts as Frieda Keller's defense attorney and challenges the assumptions behind the prosecution.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Walter Gmür → Arnold Janggen (Conflict Adversarial Legal Colleagues) — Their courtroom opposition later shifts when Walter approaches Janggen for assistance with Frieda's clemency petition.

  Walter Gmür challenges the prosecution's assumptions, while Arnold Janggen defends judging the killing under the law.

• Frieda Keller → Arnold Janggen (Conflict Defendant And Prosecutor) — Their opposing positions place Frieda's account of despair against Janggen's demand for legal judgment.

  Arnold Janggen insists that the court must judge Frieda Keller's killing under the law.

Story Analysis

A mother's criminal case becomes a confrontation over despair, gendered social judgment, and the limits of justice.

Plot Progression

1. The Body in the Forest — Heavy rain exposes a boy's body near St. Gallen, and investigators identify him as Ernstli Keller. Frieda Keller admits responsibility, turning a hidden tragedy into a public criminal case.
2. A Mother Under Judgment — Frieda's account emphasizes Ernstli's hunger, illness, and the contempt surrounding his birth outside marriage. Public opinion divides between condemnation and sympathy for her despair.
3. The Courtroom Divide — Walter Gmür challenges the prosecution's assumptions and argues that law and morality treat women unequally. Arnold Janggen insists that the killing must still be judged under the law.
4. Sentence Without a Voice — The defense requests leniency and a possible psychiatric assessment, but Frieda refuses to speak in court. The judges convict her of murder and impose a death sentence.
5. The Last Clemency Appeal — After Frieda's appeal is rejected, citizens demand clemency, an end to capital punishment, and greater political voice for women. With two days remaining, Walter asks Janggen to help save Frieda's lif...