bavarikon4ULetters to Theodor Fontane written by Paul Heyse
The correspondence between the "crocodile" poet Paul Heyse (1830-1914) and Theodor Fontane (1819-1898), a representative of poetic realism in Germany ("Effi Briest", "Der Stechlin"), documents a relationship that cannot be described unconditionally as friendly: while Heyse cultivated a luxurious living standard and dominated the literary market by the age of 30, Fontane was constantly threatened by existential worries and only found his true vocation as author at the age of 60. Heyse's literary work was fed not by life but by literature and demonstrated a world view without history; as journalist, Fontane was interested in the political processes of his time and developed a modern form of the novel concerned with his own time.
At the beginning of the correspondence, Heyse tried to find a publisher for Fontane's poems. Letters from 1897 show, however, that he firmly rejected his late prose. In the meantime, Heyse endeavoured to bring Fontane to Munich in order to win him as a writer of ballads for the Bavarian court. However, an appointment of a "Prussian" did not appear enforceable due to the Italian war of unification in 1859 and the attempt to take over the position as royal private librarian also failed. Personally, however, Fontane gradually gained recognition in Munich society: on 10 March 1859, he was celebrated as a guest speaker at the "crocodiles", a few days later Heyse read his works to general applause at a symposium of the king.
Despite further symposia to which Fontane was invited, he did not move to Munich. That he took a rather critical view of Munich's territory is also proven by his comment to his friend, the poet Theodor Storm (1817-1888), in mid-July 1860: "I spent five weeks with him [Heyse] in the spring of 1859. Charming, kind, graceful as always, yet milder, more cordial, more acceptable than before. Sybel, Schack, Geibel, Lingg, Grosse are his company. Perhaps he should have to be on other ground again; but on which?"