Der Stechlin

According to legend, Lake Stechlin is connected to the entire world, and whenever an extraordinary natural phenomenon occurs somewhere, a sign of it appears here. At this lake, the old gentleman of Stechlin lives, chats, and dies, and the events at the lake indeed reflect, like a focal point, the happenings of the surrounding area, the city, and society; the past intertwines with the new, and the forgotten place in the Mark Brandenburg is caught up in social changes. In the conversations between the old and the young, between rural dwellers and city folks, the social panorama of the time around the turn of the 20th century unfolds, without imposing comments or judgments. The irony and psychological precision of Fontane depict socially created individuals who either struggle against their humanity or bear it.