A tragic story of love, guilt, and forgiveness set against the picturesque landscape of Oberammergau: The talented woodcarver Pauli loves Loni, an orphaned girl adopted by an innkeeper from Graswang. However, the headstrong young woman shows no interest in the dreamy artist. One day, while climbing to the alpine pasture with the elderly Lehnl, who spends his twilight years with the innkeeper's family, a misfortune occurs: Lehnl is attacked at night in front of the hut, found by Pauli, and brought back to the village. In the whirlwind of subsequent events, not only do Loni's feelings for Pauli change, but her past also suddenly appears in a completely different light. "Der Herrgottschnitzer" is considered a classic among regional novels and is one of Ludwig's most successful works.