Der Hofmeister oder Vorteile der Privaterziehung

The tutor Läuffer teaches the children of Major von Berg, Gustchen and Leopold. Although Gustchen has sworn eternal fidelity to her beloved Fritz, she begins an affair with the tutor Läuffer in Fritz's absence and becomes pregnant by him. When the scandal comes to light, Läuffer flees to an old village schoolmaster and Gustchen to a blind old woman in a shabby forest hut. One day, when Läuffer sees his child, he is castrated. However, the play has a happy ending. Fritz forgives Gustchen and marries her, and Läuffer marries the village beauty Lise. When the tragicomedy was published anonymously in 1774, it was enthusiastically received by contemporaries and was even partially considered a work of Goethe. The story was inspired by an incident at a Livonian manor during Lenz's time as a tutor in Königsberg. With "Der Hofmeister," which was published over 150 years later in a version by Brecht, the development of socially critical milieu drama began, making this tragicomedy of great literary historical significance.