Das wandernde Bild

Summary

The Wandering Image

Irmgard lives with the writer Georg Vanderheit, and when she becomes pregnant with his child, she looks forward to marriage. But Georg is a staunch opponent of marriage, and out of desperation Irmgard marries his twin brother John. But now Georg becomes jealous, feels betrayed and goes to hide in the mountains. There he vows to leave his solitude only when he sees a Madonna walking through the snow.

John also feels betrayed, for he senses that Irmgard does not love him. When she leaves to find Georg, he follows her and, in his madness, tries to destroy them both: He sets off a rock explosion that kills himself and buries the couple. But the two of them survive. Irmgard now wants to start a new life with Georg, but the oath prevents him. Only when a storm brings a miracle, he asks Irmgard to live with him in the mountains.