My dear, just imagine for a moment that the war is over.

A Selection of Excerpts
Second Year
July 1943

Letter No. 101

Spandau, July 3, 1943
My dearest, precious darling!

It is Saturday evening now, and I am sitting here in the barracks. I cannot go out today because I am on standby duty. Well, that’s not really a problem, because I feel so terribly lonely when I’m out there. My thoughts are always with you. I wonder what you’re doing right now? It’s just turned 8 o’clock. Oh, my beloved darling, if only I could be with you. I don’t know what to do with myself here because I simply miss you so much! I haven’t been anywhere else, except to visit a few comrades.

My beloved darling, Monday will decide whether I can come visit again or not. I have to report to the CO on Monday morning. I’ve already got all my things ready. The only thing missing is the leave pass. Well, I hope I get one. Oh, my sweet, dearest darling, I wouldn’t know what to do if I couldn’t come over anymore. I think I’d just go AWOL.

My darling, Berlin is actually quite nice otherwise. "Tommy," though, has really smashed a lot of places up. I only truly realized the extent of it after traveling all over Berlin. You see, my comrades are stationed in almost every different part of the city. I also paid a visit to the Reich Chancellery; a comrade of mine is stationed there. Tomorrow morning, I’m going to Potsdam to the Garrison Church. It is a very beautiful church. ...

Letter No. 102

July 6, 1943
My beloved darling,

I am writing this letter to you today with more reluctance than I have ever felt writing a letter before. Just imagine—the boss won't let me go. Oh, it’s enough to drive one mad. When I found out yesterday, I was so furious I felt like jumping right at his throat. Unfortunately, the situation is that whenever I travel to Poland, I have to go via Berlin, and that is why the boss won't let me make the trip. Oh, if only I had known this sooner, I would have stayed with you for a few more days. ...

You can hardly imagine the disappointment, after I had been looking forward so much to seeing you again. Now, nothing brings me any joy at all. If it weren't such a terribly long way, I would have just gone anyway. But with a distance of 1,500 km, you can't keep hiding from patrols the whole time. ...

Oh, if only you had a telephone, so I could call you and hear your beloved voice once more. ...

Letter No. 103.

10 July 1943

... After a long journey, we arrived in Kraków yesterday evening. We are continuing our journey from here at midday today. It is very beautiful here. The city has wonderful buildings. There are a many Germans here. ...

Letter No. 104.

Deba, July 12, 1943

... Well, the first day of the training course is already over, ...

My dearest treasure, yesterday morning I attended early Mass at a German church in Kraków. I visited four churches there. They were all absolutely wonderful. Oh, my dearest darling, I will certainly never regret becoming a Catholic. You know, my love, something like this is what I had always been missing. I am only truly realizing that now that I have it. ...

Letter No. 105.

Deba, July 13, 1943
...

My dearest darling, this evening I finished filling out my ancestral record, and tomorrow I am sending it to the registry office for certification. I have also gone ahead and requested all the necessary marriage documents.

My sweet, precious, beloved darling, please write to me right away and let me know if you are happy for us to get married in October. I need to apply for marriage leave in good time. ...

Letter No. 108.

16 July 1943
... Yes, the duty is going well, too. Duty, studying, and sleeping are our only activities, and since there is little time for the latter two, the days fly by.

It’s already 10 o’clock, and I’m still on duty. I’m on my feet almost all night tonight. I’m the Duty Officer today, which means I have to make four rounds—lasting 45 minutes each— between 10:20 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Reveille is at 5:00 a.m. Well, tomorrow is Saturday, so I’ll be able to go to bed early tomorrow evening. ...

Letter No. 109.

Deba, July 18, 1943

... There’s hardly anywhere to go out here. We have a canteen, two soldiers' clubs, and a cinema. The other companies have a canteen too, but what does that amount to for the more than 10,000 soldiers stationed here? It’s over 20 km to the nearest town of any size, and otherwise there’s nothing here. Just tiny hamlets everywhere where you can’t get anything—and I’m not going there.

Letter No. 120.

Deba, July 31, 1943
... My beloved darling, the third week here has now passed, and now there are only eight weeks left. ...

Unfortunately, I can only answer your dear letter tomorrow, as I don't have enough time today. You see, there is an alert. Some partisans here have done something or other, and now we have to go looking for them. ...