Hofmannsthal´s Correspondance with his Wife

Hugo von Hofmannsthal`s extensive correspondence with his wife Gertrud is almost completely unknown. Over 1000 autographs have come down to us, but only 12 of these have so far been published in their entirety. Yet, in terms of the author`s life and work, there is no doubt of the significance of these letters for research. Their publication would close the last major gap in the editorial effort relating to Hugo von Hofmannsthal`s works. This exchange of letters constitutes one of the most important sets of documents reflecting Hofmannthal`s personal and public biography. In large parts, it provides insight into to the genesis of his works down to the minutest detail. Daily reports on the progress and crises of his literary work are interwoven with remarks on his own reading, encounters with other people, and on his current mood. Thus, a close relationship emerges between events in the author`s life and his literary creations. At the same time, Hofmannsthal`s letters shed light on a variety of aspects of society and cultural policy, the constraints of life as a free-lance writer, and - last but not least - his problematic involvement in Austrian war propaganda in the First World War, to which he had committed himself in order to evade active military service. Moreover, they draw a comprehensive picture of life in Europe up to the inter-war period and are of great interest in terms of cultural history, as they continually refer to seemingly insignificant events of everyday life. In particular, they contain interesting material on the history of the media, then in a phase of dynamic development. Finally, the letters document the state of a marriage at a time of profound changes in the political and social spheres as well as in the self-perception of an intellectual. The edition will comprise all available autographs and secure their textual basis according to the rules of modern editorial practice. The hierarchical commentary is designed, on the one hand, to provide a section-by-section introduction to larger passages of text and, on the other hand, to facilitate the understanding of specific references.

Hugo von Hofmannsthal`s extensive correspondence with his wife Gertrud is almost completely unknown. Over 1000 autographs have come down to us, but only 12 of these have so far been published in their entirety. Yet, in terms of the author`s life and work, there is no doubt of the significance of these letters for research. Their publication would close the last major gap in the editorial effort relating to Hugo von Hofmannsthal`s works. This exchange of letters constitutes one of the most important sets of documents reflecting Hofmannthal`s personal and public biography. In large parts, it provides insight into to the genesis of his works down to the minutest detail. Daily reports on the progress and crises of his literary work are interwoven with remarks on his own reading, encounters with other people, and on his current mood. Thus, a close relationship emerges between events in the author`s life and his literary creations. At the same time, Hofmannsthal`s letters shed light on a variety of aspects of society and cultural policy, the constraints of life as a free-lance writer, and - last but not least - his problematic involvement in Austrian war propaganda in the First World War, to which he had committed himself in order to evade active military service. Moreover, they draw a comprehensive picture of life in Europe up to the inter-war period and are of great interest in terms of cultural history, as they continually refer to seemingly insignificant events of everyday life. In particular, they contain interesting material on the history of the media, then in a phase of dynamic development. Finally, the letters document the state of a marriage at a time of profound changes in the political and social spheres as well as in the self-perception of an intellectual. The edition will comprise all available autographs and secure their textual basis according to the rules of modern editorial practice. The hierarchical commentary is designed, on the one hand, to provide a section-by-section introduction to larger passages of text and, on the other hand, to facilitate the understanding of specific references.