Konrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825–1898) was a Swiss poet and novelist, one of the acknowledged masters of the 19th-century historical novel. For a long time, he doubted his calling and turned to literature only in adulthood: his first book, the collection Twenty Ballads (1864), appeared when he was almost forty. Meyer's true recognition came after he turned forty-five, when he devoted himself entirely to writing. In his works, he sought to recreate the atmosphere of transformative periods, combining precise historical detail with profound psychological analysis of characters.

The novel Georg Jenatsch (1876) is considered the pinnacle of his prose. The narrative centers on the fate of Georg Jenatsch, a 17th-century Swiss politician and religious figure who led the independence movement in his native canton during the Thirty Years' War. Switzerland was not yet recognized among the European powers, and Jenach's struggle becomes a symbol of the small country's desire to defend its faith, freedom, and political right to exist.

By combining the drama of the protagonist's personal life with the grand scale of historical events, Meyer shows how the destinies of individuals become part of history, and their inner choices determine the future of entire nations.