Franz Sedlacek, born in 1891 in Breslau as the son of an engineer from Ried im Innkreis, went missing in 1945 in Thorn, West Prussia. He spent his childhood in Ried (later Linz) and worked as a curator at the Technical Museum in Vienna after studying chemistry. As a painter, he was self-taught and developed a masterful painting technique reminiscent of the old masters. He left behind a significant body of painting and graphic work that gained considerable recognition both domestically and internationally during the interwar period. He was rediscovered in the late 1970s. Most recently, a large solo exhibition was held at the Linz State Museum, which was also shown at the Vienna Museum. We are publishing his fantastic novella here from his estate.