Strictly speaking, only fifty letters are from Franz to his wife Josefine Hőfer, who lived in Vienna. The dates range from January 1940 to December 1942. One letter to her, dated 23 December 1941, was from another soldier, Franz Schuster, "with warm greetings from faraway Russia". In the letter from 28 February 1941, Franz included a very small photo of himself pouring wine from a bottle. Was it his birthday? Or Josefine's? A blow-up of this photo was made and is included.

The postal stamps and the return address cite FPN ("Feldpostnummer", field post number) 35 297. Ou

Strictly speaking, only fifty letters are from Franz to his wife Josefine Hőfer, who lived in Vienna. The dates range from January 1940 to December 1942. One letter to her, dated 23 December 1941, was from another soldier, Franz Schuster, "with warm greetings from faraway Russia". In the letter from 28 February 1941, Franz included a very small photo of himself pouring wine from a bottle. Was it his birthday? Or Josefine's? A blow-up of this photo was made and is included.

The postal stamps and the return address cite FPN ("Feldpostnummer", field post number) 35 297. Our research showed that 35 297 was assigned to the medical company with the 297th Infantry Division. The division was formed in January 1940, part of the 8th Wave, and tracked through Poland to the river Bug, and on to Zhitomir, Uman, Cherkasy, fought in the Battle of Kiev, and eventually got trapped and destroyed in Stalingrad.

Franz Hőfer's last letter to his wife is dated 19 December 1942, the handwriting showing that his hand was moving with great difficulty from cold and hunger. Franz finished it saying to his wife that he was sending the letter right away because it was all that was left for him, and that his greatest joy was getting messages from her. At the time, the 297th Infantry Division was trapped at the southernmost end of the Soviet encirclement near Zybenko and Beketovka, to the south-west of Stalingrad (see "297" highlighted in yellow on the photo of the map).

The last two letters, dated 12 November and 14 December 1942, were from Josefine to Franz, returned to sender as undeliverable.

The collection is in excellent condition, each letter meticulously unfolded and placed next to its envelope under clear plastic in two large 12" x 15" albums, one letter per page. The paper is well-preserved and is not brittle. Some of the letters and covers show notations in pencil or pen, most of them to clarify the date, but there is barely any soiling, rips, or wrinkles. The first of Josefine's returned letters has minor ink stains, not obscuring the text.

This collection can be a lasting and very exciting research project for a historian interested in WW2 and the Battle of Stalingrad. A rare opportunity to look at the great war through the eyes of just one German soldier! And trace his path from victory to defeat and death. Or Soviet captivity, which was not much of a difference. The handwriting is very flowing and not easy to read but for someone with a good command of die deutsche Sprache and Google Translate, it is certainly not insurmountable, just challenging.
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