Rehweiler, January 29, 1916

My dear ones!

This morning the mail service delivered to me the commemorative publication of the Arion with the included newspaper clippings. Unfortunately the printed materials arrived in a badly damaged state, and thereby prove the danger of traveling the world's seas during war time. Now, after reading those materials, I can imagine just how magnificent the "Golden Jubilee" was and what an outstanding job, dear Uncle, you have done within it. How lucky your wife, my dear aunt, must be to live her life at the side of such a famous man, to support him in his thinking and

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reasoning, and in his ideals as a loyal and caring spouse. My congratulations for the success of this great day go out to both of you. - How those splendid mass choirs, proclaiming the spirit of the wars for freedom and thereby fitting so well into our present time of historical change of our world, must have echoed through Arion's festive halls! "Gothenzug" is one that I know, likewise Sword Song, Prayer during battle and The Wild Chase of Lützow; the latter only in its folk melody. I am also familiar with your composition "Silent valley". Considering the Lützowers, I want to inform you that an infantry regiment from the Palatinate: the xth in x (will tell you their name after the war is over) has now

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also been awarded the [note: "Totenkopf"="skull," a military decoration] Totenkopf [/note]. Now it only goes by the name of the flying regiment; for today it is waging war at the Western front, three days later in Russia's snowy fields, then again it helps in Serbia to sweep the land with an iron broom and then in turn it greets the loyal ally under the half moon. - I read, for the first time, the text of the last Emperor's praise song in the lyrics booklet: Night Watch in Tyrol, 1810. This choral must be extremely difficult; the text alone is evidence of that. The more praiseworthy to have won with this song. The finale from Mendelssohn's "Loreley" is very appealing in its text. How gorgeous must choir and orchestra have sounded here! I would only have had one wish, namely that my Lisbeth and I could have been there for this great

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concert. My bride would have been so happy; for she is a great friend of music and of art in general. Like me, she will already enjoy reading the printed materials. However, in these present days of seriousness and austerity, there is little chance of going to the theater or to a concert. Once the bells of peace are ringing for a victorious Germany, at some time in the future, then there will be a better time for such noble, sublime things. Then our nation, chastened and purified by the gravity of war, will devote its heart to [underline:] classic [/underline] music. But now money and time are needed for other things, which are more necessary. According to your wish, I will take your commemorative speech along with the printed materials to the "Pfälzische Presse" in person next Saturday,

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so they can be published. Several of the pictures from the commemorative speech will also be printed in the Time Pictures. Perhaps even the best known German weekly news magazine "The Week" is willing to accept the pictures. Now for something personal. I am holding my exam report in my hands and am quite satisfied with the result. I conquered the 7th position overall and passed the exam with a good grade II. There was nobody with a grade I. I myself got a 2 - 1 in one subject, school teaching (demonstration lesson). I am quite pleased with this result; for it is the award for hard work. For my health

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however this strain was not too good; because all through this winter I have not been feeling well. The weather may have to be blamed for that; for we have had inconsistent and foggy weather for all of this winter. And then the sobriety of our times, which is oppressing the people! If, however, I could be in my Lisbeth's care, things would be a lot better. But that is not going to happen for now; for every person now has to support his fatherland, according to his respective abilities. There will be a time in the future, when I will get an easier school job instead of teaching 80 children at once. "Germany has to be victorious, despite misery and death", that is every German's slogan

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out there in the battlefield and at home. No matter how long the fight will last, one day victory will be ours. - Conveying sincere greetings from my bride as well as from Otterberg teacher Graf's son, who is an administrator in Landstuhl and whom I run into quite frequently, I remain loving you as always and in German loyalty

Your Eugen

D. Uncle! I don't know, have you heard that Grandfather August Heck passed away in September of 1915 in Kaiserslautern?