Fontane, Theodor (1819-1898), a German author, became known for his realistic and critical novels about Prussian society during the 1800’s. Many of his works vividly portray the manners, morals, and social activities of the social classes in Prussia. In his portrayal of characters and society, Fontane blends precise observation with humor, compassion, and irony.
Most of Fontane’s stories take place in Berlin and the surrounding countryside. Most of his novels deal with personal conflicts of the chief characters, many of whom are women. Fontane’s masterpiece, Effi Briest (1895), is a realistic yet sympathetic account of marital estrangement, adultery, and divorce. Several of his other novels also deal with love and marriage in a traditional, class-conscious society, including Trials and Tribulations (1888), Beyond Recall (1891), and Jenny Treibel (1892). He depicts the decline of the Prussian aristocracy in A Man of Honor (1883) and The Poggenpuhl Family (1896).
Fontane was born on Dec. 30, 1819, in the province of Brandenburg. He studied pharmacy from 1836 until 1840, when he became a licensed pharmacist. During the 1840’s, he became known as an author of ballads and travel books. In 1849, Fontane gave up pharmacy to become a full-time writer. He did not publish his first novel, Before the Storm, until he was 59 years old. He then wrote 15 more novels in the next 20 years. Fontane died on Sept. 20, 1898.
