Biographical elements run like a red thread through Fontane’s multifaceted literary work. In this publication, internationally renowned Fontane researchers have traced these biographical elements for the first time. The result is amazing: Parts of Fontane’s work that had been rather neglected have now been examined more thoroughly. Nearly all of the contributions allow conclusions regarding Fontane?’s major prose narratives. The inclusion of biographical research and other disciplines, such as history and art history, enables a new, productive approach to Fontane’s complete oeuvre.