CRIMINAL GEOGRAPHY IS THAT BRANCH OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH WHICH REGISTERS OFFENSES IN THEIR SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION AND ANALYZES THEM IN THEIR RELATION TO SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL CONTEXT. THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL CRIME GEOGRAPHY HAD ITS BEGINNING IN 19TH-CENTURY FRANCE (DE GUERRY'S 'MORALITY STATISTICS' AND QUETELET'S 'SOCIAL PHYSICS') AND SPANS TO RECENT AMERICAN RESEARCH (T. MORRIS, B. LANDER). WEST GERMAN LITERATURE HAS SEEN SUCH PIONEER WORKS OF CRIMINAL GEOGRAPHY AS F. DAMME'S 'CRIMINALITY AND ITS INTERRELATIONS IN THE PROVINCE OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN' (1882). CONTEMPORARY WEST GERMAN RESEARCH (HELLMER, HEROLD) CONCENTRATES ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CRIME RATES, THE HOUR OF THE OFFENSE, THE LOCATION (IN PARTICULAR, THE INNER CITIES), AND THE POLICE ORGANIZATION IN A PARTICULAR CITY. A SIGNIFICANT ONGOING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROJECT, THE CRIME GEOGRAPHY OF THE WEST GERMAN CITY OF BOCHUM, ATTEMPTS TO BUILD ON RECENT AMERICAN RESEARCH AND TAKES REPORTED AS WELL AS UNREPORTED CRIMES INTO CONSIDERATION. THE STUDY IS BASED ON VICTIM SURVEYS AND POLICE RECORDS ON THEFTS AND BRUTALITY IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF 1976. THE INTENT IS TO DESIGN MAPS SHOWING THE QUANTITY AND TYPE OF OFFENSES COMMITTED IN PARTICULAR AREAS, THE OFFENDERS' PLACE OF RESIDENCE, AND THE HOUR OF THE CRIME. FOCAL QUESTIONS INCLUDE THE INFLUENCE OF HIGHLY POPULATED AREAS, SOCIAL STRUCTURE, EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION, AND ARCHITECTURE ON CRIME. ULTIMATELY THE STUDY WILL HELP THE CITY GOVERNMENT IN PLANNING POLICE DEPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES. A DETAILED CATALOGUE OF QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED THROUGH THE BOCHUM STUDY AND A SHORT DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE SPEECH ARE APPENDED. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)