Tales from the German. Volume II

In Short

Translated by Nathaniel Greene in 1837, this collection gathers three historical novellas by Carl Franz van der Velde, a popular early nineteenth-century German writer of romantic fiction. Set across the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War and the sixteenth-century Anabaptist uprising in Münster, the tales trace honorable young men as they navigate religious war, military violence, corrupt leaders, and romantic temptation. Through dramatic rescues, political intrigue, and moral trials, van der Velde offers a vivid picture of Germany's historical convulsions, showing how personal integrity and domestic love survive the wreckage of ideological fanaticism.

The Story

The volume opens during the devastation of the Thirty Years' War on Christmas Eve, 1628, in the home of the merchant Fessel in Schweidnitz. Bookkeeper Oswald Dorn lives peacefully among the family, falling gently in love with Fessel’s young sister-in-law, Faith. Their domestic quiet is shattered when imperial troops arrive to quarter themselves upon the town. Among the officers is a ruthless former captain of dragoons, Faith’s relentless persecutor. When the captain corners Katharine, Fessel’s wife, and brutally tears her infant from her arms to prevent it from imbibing heretical doctrine, Dorn hears her distress, breaks down the door, and runs the captain through with his sword.

Now a prisoner of the Lichtenstein regiment, Dorn faces execution, but his military skill and moral dignity win the respect of his captors. Escaping with Faith and her ailing mother to the village of Friedland, Dorn must protect the women through bitter winter storms, mountain blizzards, and constant threat of discovery while the war continues to rage across the countryside.

Parallel novellas carry this exploration of war and faith into different eras. In a romantic tale of chivalry, the brave knight Ryno is tempted away from duty by spellbinding illusions, luxurious banquets, and courtly romance in an enchanted castle, testing his honor against magical deceptions.

The volume's final major narrative, set during the Münster Anabaptist rebellion of the 1530s, follows a blacksmith named Alf Kippenbrock. When religious turmoil drives the Catholic bishop's forces from the city, radical prophets led by Matthias and the tailor Jan van Leyden establish a apocalyptic regime. Alf is drawn into the whirlwind, narrowly escaping the crown offered to him, only to watch his native city descend into madness. Fanatics confiscate private property, burn books, and establish forced polygamy. Alf finds himself entangled with two women—the imperious Eliza and her mild, devoted sister Clara—while becoming dangerously captivated by the beautiful widow of the chief prophet.

As the royal court of Münster descends into tyranny and decadent pageantry, the city is besieged by the forces of the bishop and the imperial army under General Oberstein. Alf’s bravery in combat leads to his capture, but his past acts of personal mercy save him from the bishop's wrath. Oberstein protects Alf from summary execution. Following the fall of the Anabaptist kingdom and the brutal execution of its leaders, Alf returns to a peaceful, private life, newly married to Clara, finding his true sanctuary far from the destructive passions of religious zealotry.

How It Unfolds

A quiet Christmas disturbed In 1628 Schweidnitz, bookkeeper Oswald Dorn warns the merchant Fessel's family against feeding sectarian bitterness to their children, moments before imperial troops arrive to quarter in the town. A ruthless dragoon captain isolates Fessel's wife and infant, forcing Dorn to intervene with fatal force.

Flight into the storm Surrendering to the colonel, Dorn manages to flee with his beloved Faith and her sick mother to a remote village. While traversing mountain paths to escape pursuers, they are caught in a blinding blizzard that threatens to claim their lives.

Temptations of the knight The chivalric hero Ryno is lured into a magnificent marble palace where he is welcomed with golden goblets, music, and the embraces of the beautiful Rosamunda, blinding him to the magical dangers surrounding him.

Violence in Münster In the 1530s, sectarian conflict turns bloody when Hessian horsemen and episcopal troops clash inside a local tavern over the arrest of a Protestant theologian, forcing young Alf Kippenbrock into the fray.

The rise of the prophets Anabaptist radicals seize total control of Münster, burning books, seizing citizens' jewels, and replacing the elected town council with unlettered tailors and executioners who claim divine revelation.

A domestic sanctuary won After surviving the siege, betrayal, and the fall of the extremist regime, Alf turns his back on public life to live quietly as a blacksmith alongside his gentle wife Clara.

The People

• Oswald Dorn, a thoughtful bookkeeper and former soldier whose brave defense of helpless civilians draws him directly into conflict with imperial military officers.
• Faith, a sixteen-year-old maiden whose quiet affection for Dorn sustains him through displacement, danger, and severe winter storms.
• The Dragoon Captain, a violent and vengeful military commander who uses religious war as a cover to terrorize Fessel's household and persecute Faith.
• Alf Kippenbrock, a spirited young blacksmith in Münster who gets swept up in the Anabaptist rebellion, struggling to retain his reason as his city falls to religious demagogues.
• Clara, a gentle, honest young woman whose steadfast loyalty and humble devotion ultimately pull Alf back from the brink of moral ruin.
• Theodore Fabricius, a Protestant doctor of theology whose rescue from abusive soldiers highlights the few rational, moderate voices amidst widespread fanaticism.
• Jan van Leyden (The Tailor-King), an ambitious, self-proclaimed prophet who transforms Münster into a tyrannical court before meeting a grim end on the scaffold.

In Its Own Voice

"The bitterness, with which the struggle for truth and spiritual freedom has been carried on, has already spread enough of suffering and misery over Europe."

Oswald Dorn laments the religious hatred destroying Germany as he watches young children play with satirical gingerbread figures of theological enemies.

"They do not know which has the best right to the flimsy web, and yet each knight is ready to murder his brother-in-arms for its possession."

The ancient matriarch Hiorba warns young maidens about the destructive nature of male vanity and knightly pride as two warriors duel over a simple veil.

"Under that hearth lies buried the true treasure of life, which so few have the desire and happiness to raise."

Reflecting on the horrific execution of Münster’s radical leaders, Alf Kippenbrock celebrates the peaceful, quiet refuge he has built at his own fireside with Clara.

What It's Really About

Beneath its historical adventure and romantic rescues, the collection presents a searching critique of fanaticism, whether religious or political. Van der Velde repeatedly contrasts the destructive fury of ideological zeal with the fragile sanctuary of the home. Characters who chase glory, political power, or dogmatic purity invariably bring ruin upon themselves and their communities. The narratives argue that true virtue does not exist in public arenas, army camps, or revolutionary courts, but in personal honor, mercy, and domestic devotion. The stories question the motives of self-appointed prophets and ruthless commanders, insisting that any cause requiring the mistreatment of children or the destruction of families is fundamentally corrupt.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers who enjoy classical nineteenth-century historical fiction in the vein of Sir Walter Scott, rich with period atmosphere, dramatic confrontations, and earnest romantic sensibilities. Nathaniel Greene’s 1837 translation captures the formal, courtly cadence of early Romantic prose, giving the narrative a stately, old-world rhythm that feels genuinely unhurried.

Modern readers should expect the literary conventions of its period: dramatic speeches, sudden reversals of fortune, sharp moral contrasts between villains and heroes, and traditional views on domestic roles. The historical settings—particularly the brutal realities of the Thirty Years' War and the radical Münster rebellion—are grounded in genuine historical detail rather than mere fairytale backdrop. What stays with you is the book's quiet sanity. Amidst scenes of storming armies, burning books, and courtly illusions, van der Velde consistently elevates the simple, modest acts of human kindness that keep civilization alive when large ideas go mad.