Transcription of the letter from Franz to Heti Lefmann on 25 September 1916:

“Written, 25. IX. 1916

Dear Heti!

You can brush up your French a little. Today I send you a newspaper which is printed here for the civilian population.

Warm greetings

Your brother

Paul.”

Transcription of the letter from Paul to the Lefmann family on 24 January 1917:

“Neufchâtel, 24.I.17.

Dear Parents, dear Heti!

Today we have reached a temperature below zero such as we have not yet experienced here in France. The thermometer shows 8 degrees of frost. I pity the poor fellows who now have to dig trenches outside. I fired away today until the smoke billowed.

I must still thank you for Mother’s letter of the 19th. The 2-mark note interested me very much.

All day today wagons have been passing by carrying large quantities of bedding. It is hair-raising: these things have been taken away from the civilian population in order to collect the wool with which the beds were filled. In exchange they receive beds stuffed with straw. What the French, who are still here, have to put up with—you cannot even remotely imagine. All men and partly also the women have been pressed into labor service. The Frenchman, for example, with whom I am lodging, has to sweep the streets in the morning, although he is 60 years old. The young girls must work in the fields in the morning and afternoon. Things that are needed are simply taken out of people’s houses. The people are so shackled that every freedom of movement is taken from them. Can one blame the people if they call us barbarians? When one has to witness all this, then one can truly appreciate how fortunate we are that the war is not being fought at home.

Since yesterday leave has been suspended, for the time being until 19 February. All men on leave who are still at home must be back at the front by 2 February. Have you also heard that the area from Saarburg to Metz has been evacuated? It is also said that an enormous amount of military is lying there.

How does Heti like her new post?

With many warm greetings to you all,

Your Paul.”