Blood and Soil
Griese's novels are nostalgic both in their interest in medieval German literature and their enthusiasm for an idealized conception of the spirit of the German peasant. In this sense they are solidly within the "Blut und Boden" (Blood and Soil) school popular during the Third Reich. However, according to Charles Albert Schumann, he is more interested in connection to one's ancestors than in race as it was popularly conceived at the time. His best-known novels are "Feuer", "Winter", and "Die Weissköpfe", all stories of agrarian life in 19th and 20th century Germany.