“The answer was we thought it could be done.”

“As for the Rosenkavalier waltzes…how could I have done those without a thought of the laughing genius of Vienna?”

“Who said that every wish would be heard and answered when wished on an evening star? Somebody thought of it and someone believed it, and look what its done so far.”

“The years will not
answer for what they have done, that much is
certain. There is no shaking them, we
might have foreseen this but refused.”

“The Wrong we have Done, Thought, or Intended Will wreak its Vengeance on
Our SOULS.”

“Let these words answer
For what is done, not to be done again
May the judgement not be too heavy upon us”

“"How else should it be done then?", was always the immediate question. The answer is simple: "Exactly in the opposite way that it is done today!"”

“I was understandably deeply disappointed that the highest National Socialist leaders did not stand up and answer for the deeds they had done in the past and left those of us who could not be made personally responsible in the lurch.”

“Well, I know what I have to do, so it is simple. Duty is a wonderful thing. I do not know what I should have done without duty since young Tom died. You could have painted, he told himself. Or you could have done something useful. Maybe, he thought. Duty is simpler.
This is useful, he thought. Do not think against it. It helps to get it over with. That's all we are working for. Christ knows what there is beyond that.”

“I thought… that we could at least talk about books.”