While the great classics were being written in Germany, what were people actually reading? Räuberromane. How do literary critics and literary scholars come to terms with this scandal? What were the conditions governing the production, reception and distribution of the genre? How does the 'noble robber' relate to his literary forebears? What are the features that go to make up a robber novel? The systems theoretically oriented study draws upon extensive source material to answer these questions and thus make a contribution to the social history of light fiction.