Der arme Spielmann [The Poor Fiddler, 1848] was Franz Grillparzer's literary contribution to the revolutionary year of 1848, although in a letter to Johann Count Mailáth (1786-1855) he denied that his Rahmennovelle (novella with a narrative frame) had any political significance. The novella was published in Pest in Deutscher Almanach Iris (German Almanac Iris) by the liberal Hungarian patriot Gustav Heckenast (1811-1878), and edited by the historian and Hungarian patriot Johann Count Mailáth. The latter, one of the tutors of the rebellious Austrian Empress Elisabeth (“Sisi”, 1837-1898), promoted Austrian Vormärz (the time before the March Revolution 1848) authors such as Grillparzer, Adalbert Stifter (q.v.), and Eduard von Bauernfeld (1802-1890).
Der arme Spielmann was Grillparzer's most accessible and popular work and one of Franz Kafka's (q.v.) favorite novellas. Traditionally it was interpreted as a late...
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Citation: Lorenz, Dagmar C. G.. "Der arme Spielmann". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 April 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14749, accessed 09 June 2026.]
