Schach von Wuthenow Erzählung aus der Zeit des Regiments Gensdarmes

by Theodor Fontane

"Schach von Wuthenow" by Theodor Fontane is a novella written between 1878 and 1882. Set in 1806 Berlin before Prussia's defeat by Napoleon, it follows a handsome cavalry officer who, in a moment of romantic confusion, seduces the pockmarked daughter of a witty widow he has been courting. When the king himself commands the reluctant officer to marry and restore the young woman's honor, he faces an impossible choice between duty and the fear of his comrades' mockery. Based on a true story, Fontane explores the contradictions of Prussian military culture.