Fritz Reuter has a secure place as the classical writer of Low German prose in the nineteenth century, the writer who elevated Low German literature beyond regional entertainment. Starting out without much literary ambition, Reuter was soon taken seriously and is still counted among the foremost realists in Germany. His instant popularity and immense fame endured as long as there was a large enough audience to read and enjoy Low German stories. The dramatic population movements following World War II and the growing impact of mass communication have contributed to a considerable decrease in the number of Low German speakers, especially among the reading public. Thus, while Reuter's name is still familiar, and scholars and critics keep discussing his works, those works are much less accessible for a general audience than they used to be. Translations into standard German, even those by Reuter himself, are largely unsuccessful: the...