No 19th century writer in German has been the subject of such intensive reception by modern literati as Adalbert Stifter. His order of things, the discovery of slowness and his silent inscrutability still exercise a fascination today. In these studies, central works of Stifter's are analysed and the hitherto underrated moment of irony is highlighted. This irony leads to the supposedly model heroes and educational stories being at the same time debunked, and this suspension of standards leads time and again to unexpectedly comic effects.