Reuter and Hinstorff @museum.de

F: Reuter and Hinstorff – the author and his publisher – had known each other since the publication of "Ut de Franzosentid", the novel about the French occupation. The success of one is unthinkable without the other's contribution. Reuter would undoubtedly have had offers from other publishing houses; but he remained loyal to his publisher. Or, as he put it:

M: "One ass is best paired with another ass."

F: Both men had – separately – struggled in their lives. Dethloff Carl Hinstorff was born into a poor weaver's family and worked his way up to become a successful bookseller and publisher. He marketed Reuter's verse narratives and novels with a sure instinct, creating one of the first bestselling authors in the market for books in German. The large sums of money generated by Reuter's books also made him a wealthy man.

M: Hinstorff and his heirs owned the sole rights to Reuter's works until 1904. Then – 30 years after the author's death – the copyright period expired. Editions by many other publishers flooded the market, since Reuter was still one of Germany's most widely read authors. These days, all of Reuter's works are also available in High German translations – something Reuter himself had vehemently opposed throughout his life. He insisted that the pranks, puns and speech patterns of his characters could only be properly rendered in the familiar Low German. So – despite all the translations – Reuter remains unchallenged as the most important writer in the Low German language.

F: And that brings us to the end of our tour of Fritz Reuter's eventful life and his literary works. The final room, just this side of the stairs that lead back down to the ground floor, is devoted to what came next – for his books and the characters he invented. But this is where I'll say goodbye. Thank you for listening...

M: ... and goodbye from me, too – here at the Fritz Reuter Literature Museum.