It portrays the downfall (already announced in the subtitle, Decline of a family) of a wealthy mercantile family of Lubeck.
... is 2.45 and the average family size is 3.00. In the town the population is spread out with 13.8% under the age of 18, 34.0% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% ...