Haideröslein

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Haideröslein (later in modern spelling: Heideröslein ) is a novel (family novel, horror novel , detective novel , romance novel ) that Eufemia von Adlersfeld-Ballestrem published in 1880 in the Breslau publishing house Schottlaender. Blanka von Gündel contributed the illustrations for the early editions.

The novel, which is considered to be one of the author's most successful works, tells the story of the young baroness Rose von Fels, who wants to earn her own living incognito, but falls in love with Jo, the noblewoman's son, with whom she is a companion and reader Finds employment. A relative, who is also planning to marry the extremely wealthy Jo, is crazy to get Rose out of the way, an intrigue that almost costs her her life.

The work is one of those works by the author that are most similar to the novels by E. Marlitt . Marlitt had published a novel Das Haideprinzesschen in the Gartenlaube in 1871 , and Adlersfeld-Ballestrem tried to build on its success.

plot

The location of the action is initially the fictional Hochfelden estate, the time the author's presence, i.e. the 1870s. When the old chief forester Freiherr Egon von Fels was dying, he made a confession to Rose (called "Heideröslein"), his 18-year-old only child: He didn't love Rose's mother, who had since died, but another woman. Since families like the Montagues and Capulets were enemies, in the end he had to renounce his beloved with a heavy heart. If Rose is ever to meet her, may she be kind to her from the bottom of my heart. Before the father can say the name of the beloved woman, he dies. Since the Freiherren von Fels are posh but poor, Rose is accepted by her neighbors, Rudolf von Hochfelden and his wheelchair-bound wife, who love Rose like their own child and would like to look after her. However, Rose would prefer to survive on her own and therefore replied to a newspaper advertisement in which a companion and reader was sought for a lady.

The sculptor Prof. Körner is working on a “Heideröslein” group of figures, for which Rose and Jo serve as models.

The new place of work for Rose is Eichberg, the rural summer residence of Clementine van der Lohe, an old lady who is bitter but who receives the new companion in a reasonably friendly manner. Since employment is not appropriate for a baroness, Rose introduces herself to her employer as a bourgeois "Rose Eckhardt". Ms. van der Lohe loves society and art, and so many other people live in her house. First there is Mrs. van der Lohe's niece Olga von Willmer, a beautiful young widow who is a writer and cool, calculating and arrogant. Olga's counterpart is the second niece, Carola, who is grotesquely distorted by a curvature of the spine, which gives her the freedom to always say openly what she thinks. Carola is not only spontaneous, but also warm-hearted, and makes friends with Rose from the start. Rose finds a second, fatherly friend in Prof. Körner, a sculptor who is working on his masterpiece in Frau van der Lohe's summer residence, a group of Heidenröslein , for which Rose will soon also serve as a model. Other summer guests of Mrs. van der Lohe are the vain and fanatically modern pianist Richard Leßwitz, the enthusiastic painter Theophil von Sonnenberg and the ambitious and lust-driven ambassador attaché Baron von Hahn.

And finally there is Mrs. van der Lohe's son Johann, called "Jo", owner of important iron works and notorious bachelor. When Rose and Jo meet, it sparks immediately between them; As the son of her employer, however, Jo is taboo for Rose, and since Baron von Hahn is increasingly harassing her with his amorous attention, she initially pays Jo little attention. According to his mother's will, Jo should marry the beautiful Olga. However, Jo knows Olga too well to even be tempted to get involved with her. Olga, born Countess Stahleck, had only married the late Willmer to escape poverty. While Willmer was still alive, she had started an affair with Maurus Magyar, a famous gypsy violinist, Jo's best friend, who had finally taken his own life because of Olgas.

Rose and Jo find each other when Rose falls heavily while walking in the castle grounds and shows Jo greater concern for the accident victim than would have been appropriate for one of his mother's servants. Before they can forge future plans together, however, Jo has to travel to London on business. Rose promises to wait for him.

Ms. van der Lohe and Olga suspect that something is looming between Rose and Jo. Olga offers her aunt to alienate Rose Jo and to betroth her to someone else. In order to implement her plan, she explains to Rose that she, Olga, has been secretly engaged to Jo for some time. Rose believes her, is desperate and tries to drown herself in the castle pond, but is saved by Prof. Körner.

After Jo's return from London, Olga cleverly arranges a situation in which Jo finds Rose red-handed in an engagement hug with Baron von Hahn. Since Jo is just as bitter about Rose's alleged infidelity as Rose is about Jo's alleged connection with Olga, both believe that they have no reason to talk. However, Jo Hahn throws insults at the head, which he acknowledges with a duel demand. Jo deliberately lets his pistol miss Hahn, but is hit in the arm himself.

These incidents prompt Ms. van der Lohe to confide her own story to Carola. As a young woman, Mrs. van der Lohe had loved Egon von Fels (Rose's father), but he had left her sitting without explanation. This experience killed her belief in love and made her bitter. Rose, who unwillingly listened to the report, now drops her incognito and reveals herself to Ms. van der Lohe as the daughter of her youthful lover. However, Ms. van der Lohe does not believe in her assertion that Egon von Fels only gave up his girlfriend under extreme pressure. The fact that she brought the daughter of the allegedly unfaithful person into the house fills her with nameless horror.

A discussion with Prof. Körner, who tells him about Rose's suicide attempt, arouses doubts in Jo about Rose's infidelity and leads to a discussion of the lovers. Without naming Olga as the author of the lie, Rose admits to having learned that Jo is engaged to Olga. Jo corrects this now and also that he only loves Rose. Rose could follow her heart now, but she feels obliged to Baron von Hahn through her marriage vows. Only when she and Hahn are standing in front of the altar does she reflect and refuse Hahn to say yes. He is so upset about it that a little later he pushes her into the castle pond, where she almost drowns, but is saved by Jo at the last moment.

Rose would like to leave, but Ms. van der Lohe forces her to maintain her employment relationship and to return to the residential town of St., where the van der Lohes actually live. She reckons that as long as Rose is in an unworthy social position - as a servant in the van der Lohe house - Jo will not ask for her. When Jo declares Rose to be his bride, she is convinced that Rose is only aiming for a rich husband. When Rose also refuses to allow other employers who are going to the West Indies to sign her as a partner, Ms. van der Lohe loses all composure and rushes at Rose with her bare hands in order to strangle her.

Rose packs her things to return to Hochfelden. Before she can even leave the house, Olga manages to place a precious diamond pendant in Rose's luggage and accuse the rival of the alleged theft. So Rose has to leave the house in shame and after her arrival in Hochfelden falls into a long and serious illness.

Meanwhile, Olga marries Hahn, who has inherited a wealthy and got a good job. The old woman van der Lohe eventually suffers a stroke. After she has regained her ability to speak, she confesses to Jo Rose's innocence and, since she is about to die, only wishes for one thing: Rose's forgiveness. Rose grants her this light heartedly. Rose and Jo get married.

Expenses (selection)

Web links

  • Heideröslein. In: www.ngiyaw-ebooks.org. Retrieved February 28, 2021 .