Laun owned a copy of this book, and Grässe theorised that he brought the story to the attention of Apel. Some characters in the stories may have been based on personal acquaintances, such as Richard Wagner's father, Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Wagner (1770–1813), a police actuary, who may have inspired "Aktuarius Wermuth" ('Registrar Absinth') in "".
Laun had access to this book and Grässe believed he introduced the story to Apel. Some characters within the narratives might be based on real-life acquaintances, such as Richard Wagner's father, Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Wagner (1770–1813), a police actuary, who could have influenced "Aktuarius Wermuth" ('Registrar Absinth') in "".