Rund um den Kreuzturm: Roman aus den Dresdner Maitagen von 1849

A bustling October evening in mid‑nineteenth‑century Dresden sets the stage, where the broad main street is lined with leafy avenues, lively families, and the imposing barracks of the 1st Line Infantry Regiment. The narrative drifts through the murmuring crowds, the scent of freshly baked Kommißbrot, and the clang of soldiers’ songs echoing from the fortress‑like courtyard. Amid this vivid tableau, a disciplined yet weary corporal finds himself summoned by a mysterious, white‑bearded figure clutching a thick notebook, hinting at duties that stretch beyond routine drills.

The story follows the interactions between the garrison’s officers, the townsfolk, and the young soldiers as they navigate the thin line between order and unrest. With careful attention to period detail and a subtle undercurrent of tension, the first act paints a picture of communal life on the brink of change, inviting listeners to hear the whispers of duty, curiosity, and the quiet stirrings of a city poised for something unexpected.