Die Judenbuche

"Die Judenbuche" by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff is a novella published in 1842. Set in an isolated eighteenth-century Westphalian village, it follows Friedrich Mergel, a poor shepherd boy born into disorder and violence. Under his uncle's influence, Friedrich becomes entangled in organized timber theft and finds himself connected to mysterious deaths, including that of a Jewish creditor found beneath a beech tree. The story blends social observation, crime mystery, and Gothic elements, deliberately leaving readers uncertain about guilt and truth.

Summary written by Project Gutenberg, by machine.