The forester boys (novel)

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Peter Rosegger around 1905

Die Försterbuben is a novel by the Austrian writer Peter Rosegger that was published in 1907 by L. Staackmann in Leipzig .

content

The Tauern oh falls from the high mountains down through the rough jerk kar and flows near the city Löwenburg in the Mur . Below the mountain forest, the roaring white water runs over a high valley right past the house of the forester Paul Rufmann. The forester comes from Munich and has two sons - the 20-year-old, harmlessly funny forest worker and wood knife Friedolin, called Friedel, and the 15-year-old devout seminarist Elias. Paul Rufmann's wife Cäcilia left the care of the sons to the loyal housekeeper Rosalia Terler, called Sali, and died shortly after Elias' birth. In St. Eustachen - that is the neighboring small village below the forester's house - Paul Rufmann's best friend Michel Schwarzaug, who loves to sing, and his reserved wife Apollonia run the street tavern "Zum Schwarzen Michel". The forester and the Michelwirt agree: Friedolin and Michel's daughter Helene are meant for each other. Friedolin has one eye on Helene, but to the displeasure of the young girl he does not explain himself.

Friedolin has long since graduated from secondary school in Löwenburg, is drinking, always has gambling debts and occasionally asks his brother, who as a theology student is short of money, for money. Elias, the godchild of Michel Schwarzaug, has good reports and is recovering after almost five years of studying at the seminary at home in the forester's house. When he arrived he had brought his brother a knife as a present. Friedolin loses the good piece in the hut of the coal burner Bartholomäus Krauthas, called Barthel. Barthel, with a criminal record as a poacher , has long since stopped burning charcoal, instead collecting roots and herbs. He peddled it in Löwenburg and stayed with his daughter on such a trip to the Mur. The forester Paul Rufmann lets mercy go ahead when Barthel's “distillation facility” is discovered in the forest together with sacks of dried mountain ash and blueberries. He also forgives the brandy distiller for forbidden pitch scratching on healthy, profitable conifers.

The Prussian Nathan Böhme arrives in Ruppersbach, the church village below St. Eustachen, and continues on to St. Eustachen. The former Frankfurt professor and current tourist wants to continue hiking over the Rauhruck into the neighboring valley to Arlach. The traveler is pampered by the staff at the “Zum schwarzen Michel” inn. The arrogant and reasoning guest remains and wants to convince the all Catholic guests from the St. Eustachian peasantry of Protestantism . When Böhme does set out on his way, the forester gives him his two sons to accompany him. These leave the hiker - as agreed with their father - on the Kareck. The Prussian is stabbed to death about twenty minutes further uphill and, days later, with the consent of the city of Frankfurt, is buried in the Ruppersbacher Gottesacker. A judge from Löwenburg arrives in Ruppersbach with a clerk and two gendarmes. As suspects, after two interrogations, the two forester boys are handcuffed to Löwenburg and imprisoned there. Elias had committed the murder because he suspected his brother of the crime and wanted to protect.

The father Paul Rufmann is beside himself. His friend Michel Schwarzaug can stop him from suicide for the first time, but the second attempt succeeds. The forester jumps from the Tauernach Bridge into the raging waters and dies in it. The next day the brothers are released as innocent. Barthel had been convicted of robbery and murder. The instrument of the murder was the above-mentioned knife. Barthel had confessed. He stabbed the sleeping Böhme in the neck when he was resting alone on the hill.

Years later: Friedolin emigrated and earns more money at a New Zealand shipyard than he can drink. Helene marries Sepp, the son of the St. Eustach village chief Martin Gerhalt. The couple continue to run the inn. Elias studies in Cologne and finds a Rhinelander there. Together with Friedolin and his wife, both run the "Farm Rufmann" on the Atlantic island of San Catharina. Friedolin had taken a local woman as his wife.

filming

1955: Austria : Die Försterbuben Feature film by Robert Adolf Stemmle .

expenditure

Remarks

  1. ↑ The patron saint of the village is Saint Eustachius .
  2. ↑ The patron saint of the parish is St. Rupert .
  3. ↑ Elias had pretended that he had killed the Protestant because he wanted to dissuade the people in the village from the right faith. In this context Elias' crisis of faith should be mentioned: A few days earlier he had confessed to his father: "I have lost my faith ... Faith in God." He also gives his father one of the reasons: With the proofs of God in the seminary, know he has nothing to do with. He doesn't want to doubt God at all.