No one has been as present in German classes for decades as Hauke Haien, the dyke master from Dithmarschen. For generations, Theodor Storm's "The Rider on the White Horse" has held a firm place in the canon of German literature. Not least, the sustained broad reception of the novella in secondary education and universities keeps the interest in Storm's late work from 1888 alive. Instead of limiting himself to individual aspects such as superstition or the relationship between humans and nature, Lars Meuser offers a comprehensive analysis and overall interpretation in this volume to serve as an introduction for further engagement with the novella. Based on the currently essential research literature, he connects the work and genre classification within the era of poetic realism to source analysis and the reception history of the work.