The article explains the popularity of the first German bestselling author of the second half of the 19th century by the fact that Marlitt's literature conveys a feeling of security (a) through the form of realistic fairy tales, (b) through the propagation of liberal demands such as improved educational opportunities for women and ( c) through recognizable intertextual references. In the Lands of the Bohemian Crown her novels could benefit from the work of Božena Němcova.