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Innstetten vs. Crampas
German society in the in the late 1800s began to see the fall of the liberal government,
and more of a conservative based government come back into power particularly with the
Prussian Empire declaring its self as the Empire of the new German nation. The old ideas of
German politics begin to reappear with the Emperor becoming the leader of the entire German
nation, and the aristocrats once again gaining power they had previously lost when the Liberals
where in power. While all these changes were happening to the German society, most of the
German citizens were on one side or the other. Many of the upper class citizens, in particular the
bureaucracy, liked the movement to the new system of government that had been put in place,
while many of the other German citizens liked the ideas of the Liberal and other radical parties
that had led Germany in the years before.
These two different ideals are seen in Theodor Fontanes book, Effi Briest, when the
starch Bismarck follower Baron von Innstetten marries a young Effi Briest and tries to transform
her into a conservative German citizen, however Major Crampas represents a more radical way
of thinking and he too tries to change Effi into his liking. The two men are very different in their
way of thinking and how they act towards the German society, however the two are very similar
in the way they both care for Effi and both want what is best for her and how they agree a noble
dual is the best way to end problems they encounter later in the novel. These two very different,
but similar men embody the way the German society was acting in the 1880s.
Baron von Innstetten, an entire generation older than Effi and many years older than
Major Crampas, marries the young girl because he was unable to marry her mother; this major
age difference sets up the first major difference between Innstetten and Major Crampas. The

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young Effi is a very free soul who enjoys the outdoors and doing things that children love to do,
Effi had just stood up to do a few gymnastic turns to right and left (Fontane, 6) while
Innstetten was much older and had already gained a position of higher social standing. This
major age difference leads to problems when Major Crampas begins to affiliate with Effi and
Innstetten, as the strict Innstetten is not able to keep up the two youthful souls of Effi and Major
Crampas. Crampas and Innstetten physically contrast each other based solely on their age, but
also on their ability to keep up with the ever-young Effi. Multiple times in the book Innstetten is
unable to accompany Effi and Crampas on one of their horseback riding trips, these missed trips
my Innstetten allowed for Effi and Major Crampas to explore their youthfulness and their radical
ideas about the German state. This major separation of age between Innstetten and Crampas
showed how the German society was in the 1880s. The difference in age between the two men
shows the process of change within the society where the old ways which Innstetten represented,
those of Bismarck and strict conservatism, were beginning to fall way to the up-and-coming
generation that both Major Crampas and Effi were apart of.
Age difference was not the only contrast that Innstetten and Crampas had, the individuals
that they admired were very much different. Innstetten being a landrat held a position of power
compared to the Major and within that position Innstetten was very close to Otto von Bismarck.
Innstetten placed Bismarck on a very high pedestal in a way to where he was almost more
attracted to Bismarck than to his own wife Effi and even Crampas can see that Innstetten has a
certain affection Bismarck and wants to move up the political ladder. Innstettens joy of coming
closer to Bismarck is something that many civil servants in Germany during the 1880s would
have wanted because during this time Bismarck, enjoyed a prestige often boarding on idolatry

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(Blackbourn, 304). Innstettens big sense of affection toward Bismarck happens when he is
promoted to Ministerialrat and would be working almost directly with Bismarck (Fontane, 132).
Crampas on the other hand was very much the opposite of Innstetten where his main attracting
was women and everything about them. Innstetten did like women but not to the extent that the
Major did, this is easily seen on the way the two men treated Effi. Major Crampas very much so
was trying to pursue something that was already obtained and this is seen by the way he tries to
court Effi every time they are in a social setting. On the Major and Effis many horse rides he is
very flirty, and he plays on Effis youthfulness to get what he wants from her, You know, Major,
I really believe you would think it was quite in order if I made you a declaration of love.
(Fontane, 99) Innstetten on the other hand never really adheres to Effis youthfulness and treats
her almost like a daughter. The two men have very different affections, Innstettens being
Bismarck and his want to achieve political greatness and Major Crampass being his want of Effi
youthfulness that accompanies her. The two mens different affections are ones that Fontane
says affects German society in the 1880s because of the different political views. The strict
conservatives like Innstetten would be the ones who would like nothing more than to please the
state, while the more free thinkers like Major Crampas would be looking out for their best
interests and new ideas.
While the two men where very different from each other in their beliefs and age the two
characters were also similar to each other in some way. Both men, Innstetten and Crampas,
cared for Effi very much and both try in many ways to please her and make her fell comfortable.
Innstetten cares for Effi in a way that many husbands in the 1880s would care for their spouse, he
makes sure that her needs are met in the new world that she will be living in. Innstettens intense

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of coddling of Effi and her needs in the beginning of the book are his way of showing what he
thinks affection is towards his wife, I expect Geert to spoil me too. In his own way of course.
He already wants to give me jewelry in Venice (Fontane, 24). Innstetten is always looking out
for what is best for Effi and he is also looking for her approval in the actions he takes to please
her. Crampas like Innstetten cared for Effi and tried many different things to please her and
make her feel comfortable.
Major Crampas tried very hard throughout his encounters with Effi to get her to
acknowledge and like him. Like Innstetten, Crampas did things in order to gain Effis affection.
These actions included flirting with her, kissing her hand, making a point to embarrass her with
kind words, for you will see my dearest Effi (Fontane, 101). These actions by Crampas like
Innstettens were a way for both men to gain the attention of the women they both so desperately
wanted to be around and enjoy company with. Crampas however unlike Innstetten makes a very
strong impression on the young Effi, which eventually leads to her shame about the affair and
Crampass death. Fontanes description of how the men act toward Effi shows that during the
1880s love, passion, and affairs were still common and that no matter how much society changed
these actions were still bound to happen.
While affection for Effi was one comparison between Innstetten and Crampas, another
can be made in the chivalry between the two men. After the affair that Crampas and Effi had had
gotten out Innstetten wanted to get rid of Crampas and the only way he deemed reasonable was
an old fashioned dual. Crampas agreed to this and on the cold ocean shoreline Crampas was
killed, Crampas seems to have picked a beauty spot (Fontane, 175) the agreement that the
issue would be settled by a dual shows the respect that both men feel toward the old way of

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dealing with issues between two people. The actions of the dual and the result show that even in
German societies in the 1880s with all the social and political change happening around them
that some older traditions are still seen as the right way to handle disagreements between men.
The two men in Fontanes Effi Briest show many different views in regards to German
life in the 1880s; they also show some similarities between each other. Baron von Innstetten and
Major Crampas are cut from two very different social and political structures the first being a
very strict German conservative while the latter is more of a free thinker and has a very open
mind. The two men have very different people that they have affection for, Innstetten seemingly
have more affection for the German leader Otto von Bismarck and Major Crampas puts the
women in his life as objects of his affection. These differences outline much of the German
societys views during the 1880s because many of the German citizens thought of Bismarck as a
very important person in their life. While the two men did have their differences, they also had
their similarities. Innstetten and Major Crampas both cared for Effi in ways that would gain her
attention and affection, and the men also agreed that chivalry was the only way to end the dispute
the two men had with each other. These characteristics that the men showed throughout the
novel show how society in the 1880s was. The men portrayed the different types of political and
social views that were common during that time, and they also showed how men of different
ideas could still agree upon old traditional ways in dealing with love and disagreements.
Bibliography
Blackbourn, David. History of Germany 1780-1918: The Long Nineteenth Century.
Malden, MA. Blackwell, 2003. Print.
Fontane, Theodor. Effi Briest. New York. Penguin, 2000. Print.

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