Comedy (1767) about the code of honour, virtues, and foibles of Germany in the time of Frederick the Great, after the Seven Years' War.
Major von Tellheim, a dismissed officer of the Prussian Army, and Just, his shrewd, practical man-servant, are living in near poverty at a country inn. Because of a misunderstanding about certain funds, the major's reputation and income are under investigation. Until the matter can be cleared up, the major, honourable and chivalrous to a fault, must live by his servant's wits in a hand-to-mouth fashion.
By accident, Minna von Barnhelm, a noblewoman, arrives at the inn, searching for the major, with whom she is in love. The two had been officially engaged during the war, but after his dismissal Tellheim feels no longer worthy of her hand, and his sense of honour prevents him from acknowledging his love for her. Minna therefore embarks on a plan to break down his defences. Pretending to have incurred her family's wrath for her unladylike quest for her lover, she throws herself on his mercy. The plan works until the major discovers her subterfuge, and the situation threatens to end unhappily. But news arrives that Tellheim's name has been cleared and his income restored, thus making a happy conclusion possible.
The characterisation of the servants, who often show better sense than their masters, makes the play popular to this day.
Peter Jelavich