This is a vast field, Lirum Larum Spoon Handle, Mr. Ribbeck on Ribbeck in Havelland – lines from the pen of Theodor Fontane are still widely known today. Due to his ability to describe the everyday things of life in a critical yet affectionate manner and in great detail, he became a popular writer even during his lifetime. The great German novelist created an incredibly diverse literary body of work – this is evident in the selected poems and ballads for this volume, as well as passages from his prose works, including notable excerpts from his novels, articles, and the legendary walks through the Mark Brandenburg. At the same time, the selection highlights Fontane's personal, poetic, and socio-political development. Those who read Fontane discover a new piece of themselves.