Hans Reiter—Lotte Reiter

Hans Reiter’s relationship with his younger sister Lotte is one of the intimate ties that persists across his childhood and wartime separation. His affection takes a practical form in the fortune he secretly sets aside for her, while his thoughts of her during military service sharpen the sadness and helplessness that accompany their distance.

Childhood Protection and the Hidden Money

As a young man, Reiter helped Hugo Halder conceal the antiques Halder stole from the Von Zumpe estate. Halder gave Reiter a share of the proceeds, which Reiter regarded as a fortune. He did not show the money to his parents, who would have accused him of stealing, and he bought nothing for himself. Instead, he put the bills and coins in a biscuit tin, wrote on a piece of paper that the money belonged to Lotte Reiter, and buried it in the forest. The gesture makes his share of the theft into a private provision for his sister: what he could have spent on himself became something he intended her to have.

Lotte in Reiter’s Thoughts During the War

While serving as a soldier, Reiter often thought about his family and little Lotte, who would by then have been ten and attending school. The recollection connects his military life to the ordinary childhood continuing at home, even as he has no clear conception of his own future. He sometimes regretted leaving his studies early, sensing that his life might have been better had he continued them, but he did not turn that regret into a plan for what came next.

Visits Home and Emotional Contradiction

During two leaves from his posting in Romania, Reiter returned to the village and spent long periods with Lotte. She adored her brother. Her devotion made him laugh, but it also made him sad, and he was overwhelmed by grim thoughts in which everything seemed meaningless. He avoided reaching any resolve, convinced that he would end up shot. His response to Lotte’s affection therefore holds tenderness and foreboding together: her attachment gives him joy, while the wartime circumstances make the future that might follow from it feel precarious.

Separation and Significance

The relationship is presented through recurring recollection and a small, concrete act of care rather than through a shared resolution. The money remains hidden in the forest, set aside for Lotte but not shown to her in these scenes; Reiter’s thoughts return to her from the barracks and during his home leave. His protection of her is real, yet the narrative places it beside his sense that human beings leave their fate in other people’s hands. That contrast gives the sibling bond its particular force: Lotte represents a beloved life beyond the war, while Reiter cannot know what he will be able to give her or whether he will return to it.