Green Henry

work by Keller

Also known as: “Der grüne Heinrich”

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Green Henry, autobiographical novel by Gottfried Keller, first published in German as Der grüne Heinrich in 1854–55 and completely revised in 1879–80. The later version is a classic bildungsroman. Green Henry (so called because his frugal mother made all his clothes from a single bolt of green cloth) sets out to become an artist. After some success and many disappointments, he returns to his native city. In the original version, he dies at the end. In the revised version, Henry wins a certain respect and contentment in a modest post as a civil servant.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.