Beobachtungen zum Herstellen eines Kriegsbuches. Der preußisch-österreichische Krieg von 1866 bei Theodor Fontane

This paper contains several remarks on Theodor Fontane’s Der deutsche Krieg von 1866 (The German War of 1866), which is the second work from the series of the three so-called war books by the future author of Effi Briest. In these books he presents in minute detail the story of the German Unification Wars. The following aspects are described in this article: the genesis of the above-mentioned work and Fontane’s working method and the structure of his war book of 1866. Using some examples the author of this paper shows Fontane’s handling with citations from foreign and his own previously published texts. At last author of this article gives some information about the (almost missing) reception of The German War of 1866.