Oversberg

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Oversberg is a short story by the Austrian writer Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830–1916), which was first published in 1892 .

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The seventy-one year old, experienced Mr. General Inspector tells the strange story of the administrator Albrecht Oversberg in the company of a few acquaintances, such as the forester, the controller and the dean. The conversations and comments of those present form the framework for the actual story, which describes Oversberg's life.

Oversberg's uncle owned a large estate in Moravia called the Siebenschloss, which his nephew would one day inherit. He was a lonely, unworldly man whose love was researching beetles. One day he got in touch with a childhood friend who was a butterfly collector, widowed and had a daughter. He invited him to live on his estate in a converted mill near him. The two old men develop the plan to bring Albrecht Oversberg, who studied economics abroad, and the vibrant young daughter of the butterfly-hunting lieutenant colonel, named Lene, together. The plan succeeds and the young people fall in love. In the meantime, Oversberg's uncle dies, and it is becoming increasingly apparent, both for Albrecht and for the lieutenant colonel, that the supposedly valuable property Siebenschloss was run down and was worthless. The old Lieutenant Colonel Albrecht announced that this had turned things around and that he could no longer give him his seventeen year old daughter to marry him. When Albrecht recognized his father's firm intention, he wanted to give Lene his word back, but Lene did not accept it and stubbornly assured him that she wanted to marry Albrecht. The father became more and more excited, threatened suicide and finally suffered a seizure, as a result of which his life hung by a thread. So Albrecht urged Lene to show consideration for his father and not to blame his life.

Albrecht sold the estate to a nouveau riche Herr von Siegshofen for a small amount. His son Robi received his daughter Lene from the Lieutenant Colonel, and she finally complied. But she pleaded with Albrecht not to leave her without suspecting what she was asking of Albrecht. Since he loved Lene very much, he finally promised her what she asked and now became the manager of his former property with the man who had taken his lover away from him. Robi, on the other hand, still felt himself to be a benefactor of poor Albrecht. At the same time he didn't care if Lene loved him too; The main thing was that it was in the possession of the pretty young woman. Lene was clearly unhappy and clearly changed and quiet in the presence of her husband. After a short time she had a child from him, but it was very weak. In his kindness, Albrecht was also very fond of this child of his rival, who subsequently became very attached to Oversberg. The lieutenant colonel realized too late that he had made his child unhappy, even though he only wanted to spare him a life of poverty that he himself had suffered at a young age. He noticed Lene's waning courage to face life and tried to cheer her up - but Lene died at the age of 23; probably a broken heart, as many thought. When the time had come, the doctor informed Albrecht, who was staying abroad, who increasingly tried to avoid the temptation of Lene's presence. Oversberg hurried over and found Lene still alive, who thanked him for his great love and sacrifice.

A lifelike statue of Lene created by a sculptor arrived after her death and has now been placed on her grave. One night, unnoticed, the narrator found the usually dominated Oversberg sobbing on the grave under the statue of his lover. The widower, on the other hand, soon remarried, and since he had children of his own with the second wife, he willingly left his weak firstborn in the care of his parents and Oversbergs, who lovingly looked after the child until the child's early death. But even after that he remained the manager of the estate, even though he no longer had any reason to. He led a hard-working life into his old age, friendly and modest, probably also resigned to his fate until his death, which he described with the words "What luck!" just like everything else in his life.

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach set the life story of the good Oversberg in sharp contrast to the opinions and views of the narrator and his audience, who were characterized by a complete lack of understanding for Oversberg. Everyone thought he was weak and stupid. Only the present dean, who several times unwillingly interrupted the narrator's comments, understood Oversberg's quiet size and turned against the inspector's hollow phrases of "manhood" and "manhood" and the like. And so the story ends with the dean's words to the inspector general, which express the author's sympathy for her title figure:

"He went there, invulnerable through his harmlessness and kindness, as the heroes of the Nordic legend are supposed to have become through a bath in dragon's blood. Honor his memory! Strange, Mr. Inspector, very strange, you told me more about him than you Know and be able to know about him yourself, because don't take it amiss if I allow myself the comment: You are a clever man, a real appraiser of the skills and labor of others in your important, far-reaching sphere of activity. But a simple one and noble people - do not understand. "

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