The idea of the middle-class nuclear family as a 'sacred' and 'natural' entity has been deeply engraved into modern discourse about families. This volume examines the origins of this narrative in the legal and literary texts of the second half of the 19th century and recent times. In addition to legal texts, it offers readings of literary examples, including Stifter, Raabe, Setz, von Duffel, and Wawerzinek.