Collected Novels and Novellas - Volume VI

"Grete Minde" tells the grim story of a young woman in the 17th century: of half-Spanish descent, orphaned and unloved, Grete grows up in the Altmark town of Tangermünde under the heartless care of her relatives. When she defies convention and elopes with her lover Valtin, a life of exclusion and uncertainty begins. Years later, she returns—impoverished, with a child, and ostracized by society. In a final, desperate act, she breaks with everything. Fontane crafts a poignant tale of pride, hopelessness, and quiet rebellion from a historical event.
With "Before the Storm I," Fontane begins his only major historical novel—and a monumental portrait of society in 1812, shortly before the War of Liberation against Napoleon. At its heart is the aristocratic von Vitzewitz family, especially the young Lewin, a passionate idealist with a love of his country and a yearning for freedom. While Prussia suffers under French occupation, political debates, family tensions, and personal questions of life unfold. Fontane interweaves history and everyday life with masterful precision—creating a multifaceted picture of a world in upheaval.
"Collected Novels and Novellas - Volume VI" is an unaltered, high-quality reprint of the original edition from 1891.