American duel

This article is about suicide. For those at risk, there is a wide network of offers of help in which ways out are shown. In acute emergencies, the telephone counseling and the European emergency number 112 can be reached continuously and free of charge. After an initial crisis intervention , qualified referrals can be made to suitable counseling centers on request.

The American duel is a form of suicide that takes place by agreement and is determined by lot . It is therefore similar to the more popular Russian roulette .

The exact implementation of the American duel can vary. In one form, the participants must choose one of two balls (black and white) face down. The one who draws the black ball has to kill himself within a certain period of time. The term duel is incorrect in that it is not a fight with the same weapons . Rather, the American duel can be compared to a medieval judgment of God .

One theory has Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary in Mayerling killed due to a lost American duel itself.

Reception in literature & film

The American duel has also found its way into literature.

• Karl May : The prodigal son . The lot is decided here by dice .
• Alexander Moszkowski : Of geniuses and camels . In this satirical work the duel is decided by the question of which piece of sugar a fly sits on first.
• Mór Jókai : The American duel . In 1980 the novel about a Hungarian nobleman from the 19th century became the basis for a Hungarian television series.
• Friedrich Gerstäcker : In the corner window . Here the duel turns into murder with marked dice.
• Arthur Schnitzler : The wide country .

The duel was also discussed in a film.

• The American Duel , feature film from 1918. Director: Harry Piel

Individual evidence

1. ↑ American duel . In: Brockhaus' Kleines Konversations-Lexikon . 5th edition. Volume 1, F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig 1911, p.  57 .
2. ↑ duel . In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon . 4th edition. Volume 16, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1885–1892, pp. 1012–1012.
3. ^ Tragedy by Mayerling
4. ↑ The way to happiness . Volume 2, Münchmeyer, Dresden 1886–1888, p. 1723.
5. ↑ Alexander Moszkowski: From geniuses and camels. An American duel in the Gutenberg-DE project
6. ↑ Series dictionary  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. from Kabel1  
7. ↑ Current edition of the Gerstäcker Society ( Memento from October 17, 2002 in the Internet Archive )