Tieck is considered as one of the founding authors of the German Romantic movement. He is well-known for his ‘Märchennovellen’ in which he placed a lot of emphasis on nature, which frequently took on nightmarish or dreamlike qualities. Even though these stories were categorised as fairytales, they do not embody the typical characteristics of this genre and thus are not suitable for children. Omens, vague intuitions, divinations, mystery and dreams all played an important role in these stories, in accordance with Romantic tradition, and helped to evoke the feeling that life was but a dream.