A co-owner of the "Vossische Zeitung", in which Fontane's novel was printed in 1887, spoke of "whore stories". The genteel society saw itself struck in its conventions, more than that: in its conventional lies.
Theodor Fontane to his son, 8. September 1887:
<".We are, after all, up to our ears in all sorts of conventional lies and should be ashamed of the hypocrisy we indulge in . Is there then, except a few afternoon preachers, into whose souls I do not like to peep either, is there any human being, except a few such questionable exceptions, who is really morally indignant about a tailor's mistress with a free love affair?
Even though there is no longer a society of status in the sense of that time, the issue still seems topical: Who suits me? Do I want to get married? Where and how do I find the woman of my dreams, the man of my dreams? Am I looking for someone from the same social class? What does a happy relationship look like, how much honesty can it take?
Fontane's look at love shows very clearly to what extent social changes and framework conditions affect the private life of the individual. He describes with exact irony the Berlin of the Gründerzeit, the Prussian militarism, the social classes. Against this background, the love between Lene Nimptsch and Botho von Rienäcker, her baron, cannot last.
Source of text and more information about this event at: http://www.katakombe.de/Irrungen-Wirrungen.156.0.html?&no_cache=1&st=68
