Kornelius Vanderwelts Gefährtin: Roman

A novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on the Rhine-Ruhr shipping world and the larger‑than‑life broker Kornelius Vanderwelt, whose charisma, appetite for life, and feel for people drive both his business and his private affairs. A chance roadside encounter with a proud young woman hints at a personal entanglement that may challenge his self-assured dominance. The opening of the novel shows a young woman flagging down Kornelius’s car; he flirts brazenly, oversteps with impulsive kisses, and she escapes in the city bustle, leaving him unsettled. Kornelius then turns to work in Ruhrort, where his sharp eye for weather and markets lets him outmaneuver a Rotterdam firm and secure a major coal shipment. At home, we see his contrasting role as widower and father—correcting a rigid music lesson, sparring playfully with his three children, and insisting on self-reliance—before he heads back into the night, restless. The scene shifts to the Schifferbörse, a vivid portrait of the port’s crowd of small skippers and big reeders, where Kornelius uses quick calculations and generous rates to win loyalty and speed. Back at his office he assigns loading orders and motivates individual captains—Gebhardt, Petrus, the dashing Hein—to move first and fast. The start establishes the bustling river setting, Kornelius’s commanding style, and the tension between commerce, camaraderie, and the private stir provoked by the mysterious girl.