Albina, das Blumenmädchen

In a busy market a young flower‑seller named Albina offers a bundle of bright blossoms to the frazzled city secretary Langenheim, who is hurrying to a court session. The brief exchange brightens his mood enough to accept the flowers, yet his arrival to the council chamber is met with a sharp rebuke from the imperious director, whose long‑standing feud with Langenheim threatens to spill over into the town’s politics.

Back at home, Langenheim’s wife Therese welcomes the sweet‑voiced girl with kindness, listening to Albina’s story of being a foundling in a modest French household. The tender scene underscores the contrasts between the couple’s modest happiness and the looming resentment of the court’s powerful figures, hinting at the choices and struggles that lie ahead for all involved.