# Die Judenbuche

By Annette von Droste-Hülshoff.

"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 by Project Gutenberg, written by machine.)

- Language: German
- Illustrator: Max Unold
- Subjects: Country life -- Fiction; Murder -- Fiction; Westphalia (Germany) -- Fiction

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From Project Gutenberg. Public domain in the United States.