M: Reuter might have left Mecklenburg behind, but he continued to be preoccupied by the conditions there. Three years after his move, he published his novel "Dörchläuchting", a stinging satire on a Mecklenburg ruler's narrow-mindedness.
F: In the 18th century, the rather insignificant Duke Adolf Friedrich the Fourth ruled the small region of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Adolf Friedrich avoided reforms and innovations of any kind and yet had a great urge to boost his image, which he acted out in his ducal seat of Neustrelitz and his summer palace in Neubrandenburg – much to the derision of the local town's urban society.
M: The baker's wife, Mother Schulten, even dares to speak to his Grace and – after the obligatory curtsey – demand payment of the money owed from debts amassed by the ducal court over years. Strong stuff for the self-absorbed potentate!
F: If you'd like to find out what that conversation sounds like in Low German, stay with us! Here's the Mecklenburg recital artist Werner Völschow reading the passage:
All depictions: © museum.de
