In the German-speaking discussion about the legitimacy of punishment, a remarkable turnaround has occurred in recent years. The view that even the most advanced of the prevention theories, the doctrine of positive general prevention, has not been able to meet the expectations placed upon it is gaining ground. Consequently, scientific interest is increasingly turning back to retributive theories. Michael Pawlik demonstrates that both the departure from preventive theories and the renewed focus on retributive theories are justified. Based on a detailed critique of previous views, he then develops a novel understanding of retributive theory that is theoretically grounded in concepts of freedom. This conception is based on a distinction between different forms of wrongdoing, referred to as the "wrongdoing of the person.".