Die Marquise von O. Das Erdbeben in Chili

Upon its release in 1808, Heinrich von Kleist's 'The Marquise of O...' was perceived as a scandalous story due to the implied rape. Today, the narrative is regarded as an early example of female emancipation. Through the fate of the Marquise, who finds herself in an existential conflict and gains independence, Kleist questions traditional values and the conventions of family life. In 'The Marquise of O...', Kleist does not tell the story linearly; instead, like in a crime story, the connections are gradually revealed, building new tensions throughout.

'The Earthquake in Chile', published in 1807 under the title 'Jeronimo and Josephe. A Scene from the Earthquake in Chile, from the Year 1647', is Heinrich von Kleist's first printed narrative. A terrible natural disaster, intertwined with the fate of Jeronimo Rugera and Donna Josephe, leads to their rescue from prison; however, the story ends in a horrific human catastrophe.

Text in the new spelling. With notes by Sabine Doering and an afterword by Christian Wagenknecht.