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Fontane (1883), painting by Carl Breitbach, By Carl Breitbach (1833–1904) – zeno.org, Public Domain,

10 Amazing Facts about Theodor Fontane

Theodor Fontane is a German novelist and poet who lived from 30 December 1819 to 20 September 1898. He is widely regarded as the most significant writer of realist fiction in the German language during that period. In his work, Fontane adapted contemporary French fiction’s realistic techniques and social criticism to Prussian society.

Fontane’s novels are known for their complex, often skewed view of society in the German empire; he depicts various social and political parts of society meeting and sometimes clashing. 

Despite having numerous health issues in his later years, Fontane worked up until a few hours before his last breath. He passed away in Berlin that evening, September 20, 1898. However, here are some of the 10 Amazing Facts about Theodor Fontane:

1. He worked for his father as an apprentice

 At the age of sixteen, he began working as an apprentice for his father. He, later on, became an apothecary. After working in his father’s store in the town of Letschin in the Oderbruch region, Fontane’s sec ond position as an apothecary was in Dresden.

2. He published his first book when he was 20 years

Fontane (1883), painting by Carl Breitbach, By Carl Breitbach (1833–1904) – zeno.org, Public Domain,

At age 20, he published his first book, which he later turned into an apothecary. He completed his higher education in Leipzig, where he met the Vormärz progressives. Vormärz, which is “pre-March” in English, was the time in German history before the March Revolution of 1848 in the states of the German Confederation. 

His books became popular because they were complex and skewed in the direction of the German empire society. Whereby he illustrates the various social and political parts of society meeting and sometimes clashing.

3. He Joined Tunnel über der Spree 

Der Tunnel über der Spree was a German literary society in Berlin. It was  founded on 3 December 1827 by Moritz Gottlieb Saphir. The group has been active from 1840 to 1860 with 214 members. Additionally,  it has influenced literary life in Berlin for more than seventy years.

However, Fontane joined the Berlin Literary group in 1843, whereby he met many famous authors in Germany. Some of them include Theodor Storm, Joseph von Eichendorff, and Gottfried Keller.

4. He played a brief part in the 1848 revolution

Theodor Fontane in 1894, By E. Bieber –

Fontane briefly participated in the 1848 revolution. He left his position as an apothecary in 1849 and started working as a journalist and writer full-time. He accepted a writing position with the Prussian intelligence service Zentralstelle für Presseangelegenheiten, which was created to sway the media in favor of the German nationalist cause, to support his family. 

The fundamental goals of the revolutions, as envisioned by romantic nationalism, were to overthrow the outdated monarchical systems and establish independent nation-states.  The revolutions spread throughout Europe. Although more than 50 countries were impacted, there was little coordination or cooperation between the revolutionaries in each of those countries. 

5.  He was a drama critic at the Liberal Vossische Zeitung

The liberal Vossische Zeitung hired Fontane as its drama critic in 1870, a position he held until he retired from the Kreuzzeitung. In Der schleswig-holsteinische Krieg im Jahre 1864 (1866), he wrote about Prussia’s war against Denmark. In Der Deutsche Krieg von 1866, he wrote about the Austro-Prussian War (1869).

6. His novels are well known  for  their intricate with a frequent skeptical understanding of the society in the German Empire

Fontane at age 23, drawing by Georg Friedrich Kersting, By Georg Friedrich Kersting –

Fontane’s novels are renowned for their intricate, frequently pessimistic view of society in the German empire; he depicts how various social and political segments of society interact and occasionally clash.  The hallmarks of Fontane’s work are strongly drawn female characters (like Effi Briest and Frau Jenny Treibel).

7. He traveled to London

Some of the books that led Fontane to travel include; Ein Sommer in London (1854), Aus England, Studien und Briefe (1860), and Jenseit des Tweed, Bilder und Briefe aus Schottland (Beyond the Tweed, Pictures, and Letters from Scotland, 1860).

These books reflect both nature and the mood in Britain at the time. The theme of these books was mainly influenced by the success of Walter Scoot’s historical novels. These contributed to popularizing the British themes on the continent. In addition, Fontane’s Gedichte (Poems, 1851) and ballads Männer und Helden (Men and Heroes, 1860) rectifier returning to Germany, Fontane became particularly interested in his home province, the March of Brandenburgburg, after returning to Germany. He delighted in rambling through its rural landscapes and small towns.

8. Realism was used to describe his success

By Lienhard Schulz – Own work,

His novels Frau Jenny Treibel (1892), Effi Briest (1894–1955), and Irrungen, Wirrungen (Trials and Tribulations, 1888) provided insights into the lives of the aristocracy and middle-class people. Later, poetic realism was used to describe his success in this area. Fontane applied the realistic techniques and social criticism of contemporary French fiction to the circumstances of Prussian life in Der Stechlin (1895–1877), his final published book.

9. He worked until his last breath

Despite having numerous health issues in his later years, Fontane worked up until a few hours before his passing. He passed away in Berlin that evening, September 20, 1898. In his last year, Fontane began to work on his novels which he is remembered for today. Thus leading to his lifelong dream coming true. His dream was to earn a living from his literary work. This took place when he was only 58 years old when he published his first novel after his journalism career.

10. He was a member of the French Protestant Church of Berlin

Graves of Theodor and Emilie Fontane in the Französische Friedhof, Liesenstraße, Berlin. By Karsten Hoffmeyer-

As a member of the French Protestant Church of Berlin Fontane was laid to rest in the Liesenstraße cemetery. Four years later, his wife Emilie was buried next to him. Due to world war II, their graves suffered damages that were later repaired.

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