The novella "The Jew's Beech" by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, published in 1842, is based on a true event. It tells the story of Friedrich Mergel, who comes from impoverished circumstances, and whose murder of the Jew Aaron is only uncovered decades after the act. The great interest in Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's most famous narrative is not only related to its content—a historically documented criminal case, the Westphalian village setting, and the period atmosphere (the subtitle reads: "A Portrait of Morals from the Mountainous Westphalia")—but primarily to the way it is presented. The apparent or actual darkness and ambiguity allow for a multitude of interpretations and layers of meaning. This art of representation makes Droste-Hülshoff's "The Jew's Beech" an outstanding example of 19th-century novella literature.