On April 4, 1944, being seriously ill, Rebreanu retired to the village of Valea Mare in Argeș, without ever seeing Bucharest again (a radiological check indicated, since January, suspicious opacity in his right lung). On July 7, Rebreanu wrote in the Journal: "There are few chances of survival, given my age, cyst in my right lung, old emphysema, and chronic bronchitis."
On September 1, 1944, in Valea Mare, he died at the age of 59.