Transcription of the letter from Anna to Paul Lefmann on 7 October 1918:

“Bremen, 7.10.18

Dear Paul,

The day before yesterday evening we received your dear card-letter of the 2nd. You are already holding out more parcels in prospect for us. Your care for our well-being is really touching. We truly do not know how to thank you for all you have already done for us.

On Saturday I went with Papa on a “hamster” trip. We left at 5:50 in the morning for Syke and returned at 12:59 noon—we brought back 45 pounds of apples, 6 eggs, 1 pound of cooking cheese and 25 pounds of Pahl beans for 3 marks, which, when we shelled them at home, yielded 2 ½ pounds, which was really very cheap. I preserved one jar and we will eat the others today at midday. You see, we had quite a lot to carry. We had a splendid morning, brilliant sunshine. We walked back to Syke, because we assumed that the inspection at noon would not be so strict. To Bramstedt we would have had to walk 2 hours, and there was not enough time for that, since we wanted to be back at noon.

So in Syke there was the policeman, and indeed one of the harsh ones. All the “hamsterers” had their potatoes taken away, even if they had only 10 pounds. Papa and I pretended not to belong together. Papa took the large rucksack and the bag with the beans, I got the small rucksack. To me he said nothing, I only had fruit. Papa with the large rucksack (Uncle August’s) and the mighty bag with the beans was stopped, as we had already expected. The bag was searched, and the rucksack too, of course, for potatoes. Papa said not a word, he let the stern man talk on calmly, and he got through, but was called after: “Bring so much fruit again next time, then I will take it from you, you may be sure of that.”

The return journey was just as dreadful as the outward one. 50 people crammed tightly together. One is simply pushed in, whether it is full or not. The women with their sacks still cling to the train even when it is already in motion, in order to get on. I always wonder that not more accidents happen there.

Now you are on the move again, dear Paul. Do be very careful when the planes come again. I must always look at the picture you so skilfully took; as if by a miracle you were preserved from death. What do you think now of our peace offer? Will it succeed this time? Such a peace we could already have had 1 ½ years ago. Hundreds of thousands of people would have been spared, and millions of sums would the war have cost less. The new Chancellor is a real man. For Wilhelm it will surely go hard to have his rights so severely curtailed, but so it must come. Now it is: the democratic Germany, and much will change yet when the soldiers return from the field. Papa too has now, with heavy heart, had to bury all his hopes. He too now says: peace at any price. I have little hope that our enemies are inclined. If not, then it will become still more terrible, for after all we stand everywhere in enemy territory and thus have a claim to an honorable peace. What will the next weeks bring us?

Dear Paul, some weeks ago Heti asked you for your opinion whether she should perhaps go into the Etappe. I deliberately wrote you nothing about it, so as not to influence your judgment. I thank you with all my heart that you dissuaded her. For quite some time Heti had the wish to get out of Bremen for once. I can well understand that. For Heti it would be good to let the wind blow around her head somewhere else. She told me she wanted to accustom herself to independence, so that should fate once approach her, she could also stand on her own feet. That is all very fine and good, but not now in wartime and least of all in the Etappe.

She had, however, not yet given up her plan, and so she had, secretly, about 14 days ago a position in prospect in Schlettstadt in Alsace, with the Reinforced Concrete Company Stubbe and Schibli, which employs 2000 workers in Alsace. Papa thought we should now give Heti free hand, especially as she was permitted, if she did not like it, to return to Bremen on 1 February. Papa also once went to see the boss Schibli to find out everything exactly. The salary amounted to 200 marks with free board and free travel, 2nd class—that is really splendid.

Then it happened that in the last 8 days the stretch from Metz to Verdun moved strongly into the operational area. By chance we learned from Mr. Müller that Bernhard Loose (bank business) had been with them (food commission) and told that his son-in-law, whose family lives in Schlettstadt, was sending wife and children to Bremen because of the great danger from air raids. Also the workers of Stubbe and Schibli had to sleep at night in the cellars. At once our decision was taken not to let Heti go under any circumstances (it would have been on 1 November). When we told Heti this, she gave up her plan at once and wrote to the gentleman that under these circumstances she could not accept the position, if only out of consideration for her parents.

Perhaps nothing would have come of it in any case—who knows what will still happen in this month and what progress the French will make, for Metz is after all being shelled. I rejoice immensely that it turned out so. From Heti we would not have heard of it, for her letters too go through the censorship. And what a blessing that it was all decided on the 30th—on that day she would have had to give notice of her position here. I also believe she would have had to work there in the long run—for nothing do people give such a salary—and whether Heti could have endured it physically I doubt, especially now as winter comes.

On 1 October Heti received here at the “Deutsche” double salary, that is 240 marks, and a raise of 25 marks, so that she now earns 145 marks monthly. It is indeed a sign that her ability is appreciated, for Mühlenbrock has nothing to do with the raise, and Heti is very happy about it. She has brought 200 marks to the savings bank.

Now I have surely written enough for today. Tomorrow you will receive a letter from Heti; she has already been two days in bed, tonsillitis.

With heartfelt greetings, dear Paul,

from your Mother.”