AUERBACH. ou'Or-bac, IlEstrump (1812-82). A German novelist, born at Nordstetten. He was the founder of the contemporary German `tendency novel,' in which fie i011 is used as a means of influencing public opinion on social, political, moral, and religions questions. Auer bach was of humble, Jewish parentage. but had a liberal education at Tiibingcn. Munich, and Heidelberg, and was a close student of Spinoza, whose complete works he translated (1841). Spinoza's philosophy can be traced in the ethics of his novels of the higher social life. His life was uneventful, though embittered at the close by the growth of German anti-Semitism. His best-known works are Das Judent um unit die )(Guest(' Littcratur (1836); a semi-biographical novel, Sifino.:a (1837) ; Dichter mind Kaufmann (18:39) ; Der gebildete Burger, an attempt to popu larize philosophical subjects (1842) ; Schwarz •alder Dorf gesehiehten ( 1S-t3)—his first great success, widely translated, and expressing with a sympathetic realism the memories and scenes of youth. This was followed in the same field by the hardly less charming second series of Village Talcs (1846) ,Thariiisse/e ( 1856 ) ; Joseph im Schnee (1S61); Edelweiss (186] ) : a third series of tales, Nach dreissig lahren (1876), Der Forstmeister ( 1879), and Rrigitta (1580). Sleantime he had
written a mass of now insignificant journalistic work, and, among other novels, .1 uf der Hilhe (1865), a philosophic romance. blending peasant life and character with that of the higher circles in a royal capital and country-seat. This was an attractive exhibition of doctrinaire ethics, and established his reputation in spite of errors in construction and style. Das Landhaus am Rhein (1869) was similar but less successful, and Wald fried (1874) sought vainly to draw literary it....piration from German unity and the French war. The rest of his forty volumes are negligi ble. All Auerhaeh's longer work is overweighted with philosophy and a leaden humor. lie is best in emotional situations and the sentiments ot simple natures: excellent in description, but weak in the ni,..fagement of plot. Still. A uf der Rohe has enough inherent reality to triumph over its faults. is still read and worth reading. Auer ba•h's talent appears to best advantage in the Dorfgeschichtof and in such modest stories as Itarflissrle. Edelweiss. and Brigitte. Consult ilerthoid A :ter/pug! ( Berlin, 1882).