No. 11 Das Heidekind

Das Heidekind — The Child of the Heath

A rural girl dreams of the heath where she was born, free from cities, churches, and the quiet ache of womanhood.
She longs to return to a life untouched by expectation, where love did not deceive and dreams did not cost her soul.

The poem reads like a whispered plea:

“Wär’ ich geblieben doch auf meiner Heide!
Da hätt’ ich nichts verspürt von all’ den Leiden…”
(If only I had stayed on my heath—then I would have never known all this suffering…)

The back of the card carries a personal letter, dated October 8, 1917, from a woman named Gretel. Written in sweeping German script, it reads:

“My dear Käthe,
I’m sending you heartfelt greetings. I hope you’re well and have safely arrived in the east. Fritz had to leave again this morning, and it’s lonely once more.
I hope I receive a note from you tomorrow. I am longing for it.
I might come to the Kurhaus* on Monday.
For today, warm greetings and a few kisses.
Good night, Kisses from your ever-loving Gretel.”

(*The Kurhaus was often a spa or health retreat — possibly a place of reunion or healing.)

A tender message layered with wartime distance, romantic ache, and the universal wish for return — this postcard captures what it means to long for both place and person at once.

Country/Year: Germany, 1917
Theme: Longing & Lost Innocence
Tier: 1 — Artist-signed with printed poetry and personal message
Price: $44 (includes poem, seal & shipping)

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