The letters by the German painter Franz Marc (1880-1916) were written to his wife Maria from the beginning of World War I (August 1914) to the moment of his death in battle on March 4, 1916. While they contain lively descriptions of his activities behind the front line, they are mainly his personal thoughts on many subjects, such as literature, art, and religion. He discusses authors such as Tolstoy and gives beautiful descriptions of both the natural surroundings of Alsace and its cities.
The letters were first published by Marc's wife in 1920. A new edition was prepared in 1982 by Professors Lankheit and Steffen. The edition here is translated by Liselotte Dieckmann.