In Allemannische Gedichte, Hebel depicts the local life and customs of his homeland, with topics ranging from a description of the river Wiese, through praise of the Breisgau area, to his work in the ironworks in Hausen. Perhaps the most famous poem is "Die Verganglichkeit," a poem about death, in which the father tells his son a story based on Rotteln Castle, about how a glorious town like Basel will decline - and likewise the whole world."