
In this keenly observed portrait of late‑nineteenth‑century Berlin, a proud matriarch returns to the modest townhouse where she grew up, surrounded by the familiar smells of a bustling household. As she navigates the cramped corridors and greets the well‑to‑do acquaintances who now populate her world, her memories of youthful ambition and humble beginnings surface, revealing the tensions between old‑fashioned values and the aspirations of a rising bourgeois class. The narrative captures the subtle dance of manners, ambition, and the quiet judgments that define the social circles of the time.
Through vivid scenes of a sun‑lit street, a lingering kitchen aroma, and the polite exchanges between Mrs. Treibel and the professor’s staff, the story unfolds as a study of status, family expectations, and the delicate balance between affection and self‑interest. Listeners will be drawn into the intricate world of Berlin’s society, feeling the weight of reputation and the ever‑present desire to be seen as both respectable and respectable‑looking.
Language
de
Duration
~6 hours (379K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Norbert H. Langkau, Martin Oswald and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2014-07-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1819–1898
Known for bringing 19th-century Prussia vividly to life, this German novelist and poet wrote with a calm, observant style that still feels fresh. He came to fiction late and produced some of his best-loved novels in the final decades of his life.
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