For decades and until his death in 1989, he was the dominant figure in contemporary Austrian literature. His literature cannot be imagined without his environment; it is Austrian par excellence and is part of the canon of world literature. He was as present and public as none of his colleagues, yet he was also considered solitary and inaccessible. He was widely talked about and yet remained a stranger. Erika and Wieland Schmied are two of the few people who had the privilege of experiencing Thomas Bernhard privately, as a neighbor and as a friend. Their image of Thomas Bernhard is based on the memory of countless encounters and shared experiences, and it is uniquely documented in hundreds of photos. The photos, characterful yet unsentimental, provide insight into Bernhard's environment, the houses, and landscapes in which he lived.