Die Engel mit dem Spleen

A restless narrator warns the reader that this tale weaves together crime, absurdity and a swath of nineteenth‑century industrial life, all narrated from a cramped, orange‑scented carriage rather than a railway compartment. The story opens amid a gritty world of factories, coal‑laden railways and a society still clutching at faded notions of honor, where both ordinary citizens and laborers are left to navigate a landscape riddled with hunger, speculation and looming violence.

Through a kaleidoscope of exaggerated characters—a cold‑hearted businessman, a fragile yet fiercely idealised woman, and a chorus of workers caught in endless conflict—the narrative unfolds as both satire and lament. It questions the superficial heroics of the age, exposing how gender, power and economic desperation intertwine. Listeners will find a richly textured portrait of an era that feels simultaneously antiquated and strangely relevant, inviting reflection on the absurdities that still shape our modern lives.