Das Haidedorf

Das Haidedorf, by Adalbert
Stifter

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Title: Das Haidedorf
Author: Adalbert Stifter
Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7068] [Yes, we are more than

one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on March 5,
2003]
Edition: 10
Language: German
Character set encoding: Latin-1
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HAIDEDORF ***

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DAS HAIDEDORF
von Adalbert Stifter

EDITED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS
BY
OTTO HELLER
professor of the German language and literature, Washington
University

PREFACE.
If any prose-writer may be called a poet, none is more worthy of that
name than Adalbert Stifter. And, unless it be a requirement that, to be
ranked as classic, a writer must be dead for many years, Stifter is

entitled to an honorable place among the classic writers of Germany.
Not all he has written bears the stamp of beauty and genius, but at his
best he is truly great, and of his best we have a great deal.
Adalbert Stifter was born in Oberplan, Bohemia, October 23d, 1806.
His father was a poor linen-weaver who was killed by an accident when
the boy was only ten years old. An uncle assumed charge of his
education and sent him to the monastic Latin School at Kremsmünster.
His education was completed in Vienna, whither he went in 1826,
principally to study history and philosophy, but also to cultivate his
love of nature by the pursuit of natural science and landscape-painting.
His love for nature remained throughout his life the most characteristic
trait of the man. In all his works, but especially in his "Studien," he
showed himself to be a painter of words who has only one equal in
German Literature--Paul Heyse. His love of detail confined him to one
form of literary production, the short novel. And even within these
narrow limits Stifter's works show little action. But for this we are
amply compensated by the simple beauty of his diction, its calm
moderated tone, with never a word superfluous or lacking, the manly
nobility of his sentiment, and the almost womanly delicacy of his
perception. No one can read "Das Haidedorf" without feeling the poet's
love for man and nature.
The two volumes of which "Das Haidedorf" forms a small part are
entitled "Studien." In an English translation of extracts from Stifter this
is rendered by "Sketches." Far from being sketches, they are exquisite
studies carefully finished by a master hand. It may be said without
exaggeration that the following beautiful prose-idyl will suggest to a
sensitive and appreciative mind a succession of pictures destined to
remain as permanent possessions of art. And, when it is added that the
style is simple and modern, no further apology need be made for this
publication, save this, that the "Studien" have not, as far as I have been
able to gather, been reprinted singly.
Stifter's life, like his writings, was idyllic. He was appointed in 1846 to
one of the higher educational posts by the Austrian government, and
took up his residence in Linz. This post he had to resign in 1856, owing

to impaired health. His remaining years were spent in happy retirement,
given to literary work, landscape-painting and his favorite pastime of
horticulture. Adalbert Stifter died at Linz, Austria ob der Enns, January
28th, 1868.
OTTO HELLER.
Philadelphia, February, 1891.
N.B. The orthography of this edition is that used in the original edition
of the "Studien."

I.
DIE HAIDE.
Im eigentlichen Sinne des Wortes ist es nicht eine Haide, wohin ich den
lieben Leser und Zuhörer führen will, sondern weit von unserer Stadt
ein traurig liebliches Fleckchen [1] Landes, das sie die Haide nennen,
weil seit unvordenklichen Zeiten [2] nur kurzes Gras darauf wuchs, hie
und da ein Stamm Haideföhre, [3] oder die Krüppelbirke, an deren
Rinde