Georges Rodenbach (1855-1898), a Belgian author associated with Decadent literature, published the symbolist novella "The Dead Bruges" in 1892, in which the gloomy city, frozen in the grip of its past grandeur, seems to ghostly absorb all life. The story follows the wealthy widower Hugo Viane, who settles in Bruges and becomes infatuated with an opera diva, believing he sees the return of his deceased wife in her. In addition, the volume contains 19 other shorter stories, most of which are characterized by a melancholic and dark atmosphere.