Based on the cultural analysis method of cross-mapping, Wilhelm Hauff’s Black Forest fairy tale Das kalte Herz (1827) and the feature film Das Brot des Bäckers (1976) by Erwin Keusch, set in contemporary West Germany, are subjected to a comparative reading. Both sources deal with a process of socio-economic and cultural transformation and its profound consequences for everyday work and life, shown through the reaction of a young protagonist. Industrialisation, economisation and rationalisation shake up the traditional way of life, which until then had been characterised by handcrafted production and family business management. The depiction of this transformation process is interwoven with the personal development of the main character. The chapter examines what answers to the burning contemporary questions associated with the transformation are suggested by both sources – also against the background of current developments.