Description

Theodor Fontane (1819–1898) was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist author.

At the age of 57 Fontane finally began work on his novels, for which he is remembered best. A fine historical romance, Vor dem Sturm (Before the Storm, 1878) was followed by a series exploring modern life, notably L'Adultera (Woman Taken In Adultery, 1882), which was found so risqué that it took Fontane two years to find a publisher for it.

His novels Irrungen, Wirrungen (Trials and Tribulations, 1888), Frau Jenny Treibel (1892) and Effi Briest (1894–95) yielded insights into the lives of the nobility and the commoners. His achievement in this regard was later described as poetic realism. In Der Stechlin (written 1895–97), his last completed novel, Fontane adapted the realistic methods and social criticism of contemporary French fiction to the conditions of Prussian life.

Engraver: Heinrich Körner