The year of Bilse's death, while not listed in the relevant encyclopaedias, was recently established by the local historian Dr. Ulrich Hauth, who presented his findings in a lecture given in Kirn in November 2007, as well as in a newspaper article: "Ein Schlüsselroman wird zum Skandal - Wie Fritz Oswald Bilse zu Ruhm gelangte", Allgemeine Zeitung, Kirn edition, 23. November 2007