Die Judenbuche
| Author | Annette von Droste-Hulshoff |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Cotta, Stuttgart |
|
Publication date
|
1842 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 234305790 |
Die Judenbuche (The Jew's Beech) is a novella written by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and first published in 1842. The beech tree becomes a significant symbol in the story.
It has been considered as potentially one of the first murder mysteries and is indeed often viewed as a crime thriller or Gothic fiction. The book is full of implications and red herrings while there is no definitive answer as to what actually happened.
The story is based on a real-life 18th-century report provided by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's uncle, the agronomist and writer August von Haxthausen. The events take place in the village of B. (Dorf B.) in the Westphalian mountains, which represents Bellersen in the former Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn, today part of the town of Brakel. The plot reflects the conditions of anarchy, bigotry, and antisemitism in a microstate's society of the disintegrating Holy Roman Empire.
Friedrich Mergel
The main character of the novella, whose life we follow from beginning to end. It is never conclusively proved, but he is accused of the murder of the Jew Aaron, who vanished from his home. Friedrich also had to give evidence in the inquest into the murder of Brandis.
Margreth Mergel
His mother Margreth (maiden name Semmler) was the second wife of Hermann Mergel. We learn that she died insane, literally driven mad by the tragic events of her life, mistreated by her husband and abandoned by her beloved son.
...
Wikipedia