Friedrich Ch. Zauner has won fulsome praise from all quarters for his tetralogy Das Ende der E",rigkeit. This is in addition to many prestigious prizes during his literary career. However, national and international recognition of him as a major Austrian writer remains understated. Zauner is neither a 'High Priest' nor a 'desecrator', to borrow the terminology used by editors Ricarda Schmidt and Moray McGowan in the title of their book From High Priests to Desecrators. Zauner is not among the ten contemporary Austrian writers featured in this particular book. Unlike them, Zauner does not expound extreme or provocative views. Consequently, he does not generate such a high degree of pUblicity. As this thesis aims to show, Zauner does not withhold praise for his native land and fellow inhabitants, neither does he hesitate to criticise where he deems necessary. However, his moderate stance often precludes him from appearing in the spotlight. His chosen position is firmly in the middle of the literary spectrum. While focusing on the tetralogy, this study offers the first comprehensive overview of Zauner's fiction in English. Consequently, it is intended to contribute to a greater awareness among English-speakers of the literary achievements of Friedrich Ch. Zauner. In addition, the thesis aims to illustrate how Zauner's measured descriptions and conservative writing style have misled some literary commentators into labelling the tetralogy as a provincial village tale, Doifgeschichte. Although Das Ende der Ewigkeit tells the tale of a specific period in the history of its author's Heimat, this study aims to show how Zauner has succeeded in transcending temporal and spatial boundaries to produce a work that is also of universal relevance in the twenty-first century. This aspect of his work has been largely overlooked by critics. The present study also includes, in the Appendix, interviews conducted with Herr Zauner during the period March 2007 and March 2008. They offer a valuable insight into his aims in writing the tetralogy.