[Knowledge in stories. On the mutual lucidation of literature, media, and science]

What are science studies for? The article faces this question by arguing, (1) that they dan help to improve literary criticism, and (2) that such an improved criticism allo s to recognize how knowledge, whether scientific or not, is linked with history and culture respectively. Both aspects are demonstrated by some remarks on Theodor Fontane's most famous novel, Effi Briest, and its allusions to the then newly discoveredd microbes on the one hand as well as to mediumistic phaenomena on the other hand.