Courasche und Springinsfeld: It’s a Match!

Abstract Based on the programmatic relationality of Courasche, which is already evident on the title page of the eponymous novel, the article focuses on the relationship between the protagonist and Springinsfeld. While research on Courasche’s male relationships often centers on gender negotiations, the narrative productivity associated with the character of Springinsfeld is of particular interest here. By bringing Springinsfeld into close contact with the Spiritus familiaris , a ‘devil in a glass’, the novel stages a double pact with the devil in his partnership with the protagonist, thus linking their relationship with notions of art and even devilish virtuosity. These come to the fore both within the histoire and the discours of Courasche’s narrative, especially in the masterful use of ‘Stücklein’.