Der Nachsommer

work by Stifter

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July 1, 2026

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Der Nachsommer (1857), or "Indian Summer," is the greatest work by Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter. This novel, a key example of Bourgeois Realism in German literature, depicts a young man's journey of learning and growth. The narrative radiates a serene, sun-drenched beauty and a restrained idealism, set against a beloved landscape. Stifter's work emphasizes the "gentle law of nature" and the value of observing small, recurring phenomena to represent reality. The novel is characterized by its controlled narrative style, with repeated motifs and structural symmetries that subtly hint at underlying upheaval.12

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bildungsroman
Other examples are Adalbert Stifter’s Nachsommer (1857; Indian Summer) and Gottfried Keller’s Der grüne Heinrich (1854–55; Green Henry).
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Other examples are Adalbert Stifter’s Nachsommer (1857; Indian Summer) and Gottfried Keller’s Der grüne Heinrich (1854–55; Green Henry).
Read More

Adalbert Stifter
The novel Der Nachsommer (1857; “Indian Summer”), his greatest work, depicts a young man learning and growing; the work radiates a still and sun-soaked beauty and a restrained idealism, set against the landscape Stifter loved. His epic Witiko (1865–67) uses medieval Bohemian history as a symbol for…
Read More
The novel Der Nachsommer (1857; “Indian Summer”), his greatest work, depicts a young man learning and growing; the work radiates a still and sun-soaked beauty and a restrained idealism, set against the landscape Stifter loved. His epic Witiko (1865–67) uses medieval Bohemian history as a symbol for…
Read More