Theodor Fontane zum 200. Geburtstag

Abstract

Fontane was a man of ethos and demeanour, but he did not stick to principle at all cost. He was rather striving for compromises, which he also made prevalent in his works. His life and work tells us a lot about what seems relevant for the social cooperation: respect of others and the insight into the imperfection of the self. The study analyses these texts regarding this demeanour, and focuses on the most impressive female figure in Fontane’s work, that of the countess Melusine, a manifestation of human coexistence.