Volume one of the three-volume edition of "Collected Poems" contains all the works compiled by Theodor Kramer himself and published in book form, including "The Thief's Tune," "We Lay in Volhynia in the Mire..." and "Praise of Despair."

"Theodor Kramer's poems come in countless emotional states, always pulsating with experience. In my mind, they have spoken and sung for many years. They have confirmed my fears, without deceiving, and made them bearable. And they have, without deceiving, put me in a quirky and subtle joy." (Herta Müller).