Pan Tadeusz, the national epic of Poland, is regarded as a sacred book for Poles both at home and abroad. Originally published in 1834 in Paris, it depicts life on a Polish estate during the era of the Napoleonic Wars. The story revolves around two fiercely feuding noble families and, as fate would have it, the love between Tadeusz, the heir of the Soplicas, and Zosia from the Horeszko family. A rebellion against the Russians is planned, the arrival of Napoleon's troops seems to turn everything for the better, and in the end, Pan Tadeusz liberates his peasants. Walter Schamschula has gifted the German-speaking audience with the opportunity to experience this classic of world literature in its original form for the first time: as a verse epic. A challenge he has masterfully met. His afterword provides the historical context.