Theodor Fontane
Der Stechlin: Roman
"Der Stechlin: Roman" by Theodor Fontane is a novel written between 1895 and 1897. Set in the Brandenburg countryside, it follows the aging Major Dubslav von Stechlin and his son Woldemar as old aristocratic values collide with new liberal and social democratic ideas. Through leisurely conversations rather than dramatic action, the story explores a society in transition—where the old guard faces decline and the next generation must choose between tradition and progress. Fontane's final work captures the melancholy of an ending era with sympathy and gentle irony.