Tragödien der Völkerschlacht

Based on his diary, this little volume tells the story of the life of J.C.E. Bitterlich who lived from 1795 to 1876. A man from the Kingdom of Saxony born into a poor family whose life's road led him from the Battle of the Nations to a successful career as a country constable and finally after retiring into farming.
The author weaves a compelling biography by telling the story in the diary's words (translated into modern, readable German) interwoven with her own. The first-hand accounts are connected by explanations of the events not mentioned in Bitterlich's report and short summaries of occurrences she doesn't go into in detail. Through this technique the author gives the narrative a nice flow that paints a first-hand picture of the way life was in the early 19th century in Middle Germany.