Das steinerne Herz

An uncle breaks with his nephew because the boy plays with a stone. The stone stands for the boy's heart, and that is exactly what the story is about.

After the death of the brother, the Hofrat's disappointment falls on the son as well, and he now pushes him away.

At a party to which the guests come dressed in the costumes of the 1760s, the story gains momentum. The encounters there change the relationship between uncle and nephew.

The story asks how much feeling lies behind a hard exterior and what hardness does to a family. For the reader, it remains gripping whether the Hofrat will reconsider his stance.