Painted in 1974 Birke (translated as Birch) is from a series of works Kiefer painted about the Markische Heide or March Heath. The March Heath refers to a part of the Brandenburg region, a territory fought over throughout German history, which is located in what was once East Germany southeast of Berlin.
The solitary birch tree in Birke symbolizes an idyllic "context of nature resplendent, waiting to be enjoyed in peaceful contemplation" echoing the romantic notions of Casper David Friedrich and traditional German history painting.
This painting is requested by the Sezon Museum of Art in Tokyo for its exhibition ANSELM KIEFER: A RETROSPECTIVE, opening in Tokyo, June 1993, and its subsequent tour.