Edition of letters M.v.Ebner-Eschenbach-Josephine von Knorr

The aim of this project is to edit the correspondence between Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach and Josephine von Knorr (1851 - 1908), thereby rendering it accessible, for the first time, to the scientific community. Although Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach is one of the most important writers of the 19th century, the editing of her work and writings remains unsatisfactory. As far as her correspondence is concerned, very little has been published, partly in selected editions and partly in editions of insufficient scientific standards. The predominant part of her lengthy correspondence, among which are important letters to and from members of the family and female friends, has not been published at all. The latter collection includes the extensive exchange of letters between Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach and the poet and translator Josephine von Knorr, who, up to now, has been largely ignored by research. Josephine von Knorr`s letters (251 letters and cards) are among the unpublished works of Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach in the Dubsky family archive in the Moravian Provincial Archives at Brno; Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach`s letters (approx. 520 letters and cards) were discovered by the claimant among Josephine von Knorr`s unpublished works (in private ownership). The period of writing covers the years from 1851 to 1908 and documents the lifelong connection between the two friends, their lives/work as authoresses and both their private and social lives. The correspondence is no less significant for beginning a decade earlier than the diaries of Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach which have been preserved. For the first time therefore, we have at our disposal original documents from the authoress that were not censored by her at later date, which throw light on her years in Znaim as a young wife and budding writer, thereby enabling us to gain more insight, especially into her methods of working and writing. Due to the amount of ground-work necessary in the rather rudimentarily ordered private archive and to the extent of the correspondence, the project is estimated to take at least three years. The principles regarding the constitution of texts and explanatory notes are developed from the letters and will adhere to the usual standards in Modern German letter-editing. The letters will be ordered chronologically, as correspondence. All of the texts will be reproduced exactly according to the manuscripts, as well as described and commented on. A biographical and introductory essay, an editorial report, an index of names and titles as well as a bibliography complete the volume. It is planned to publish the edition in Böhlau`s series Literaturgeschichte in Studien und Quellen, edited by Klaus Amann, Hubert Lengauer and Karl Wagner. Further editions of letters from Josephine von Knorr`s literary remains are planned.

Although Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach is one of the most important female writers of the 19th century, the editing of her work and writings remains unsatisfactory. As far as her correspondence is concerned, very little has been published in selected editions and in editions of insufficient scientific standards. The predominant part of her lengthy correspondence, among which are important letters to and from members of the family and female friends, has not been published at all. Moreover, a modern biography is missing.The extensive correspondence includes the decade-long exchange of letters (1851-1908) between Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach and the poet and translator Josephine von Knorr, a writer who has been ignored so far. The correspondence (more than 780 letters and cards), which is in the Dubsky family archive in the Moravian Provincial Archives at Brno and in private ownership, documents the lifelong friendship between the two female writers and provides details not only about their styles of writing but also about their private and social lives. The correspondence is especially significant because it begins a decade earlier than the known diaries of Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach. For the first time therefore, we have at our disposal original documents from Ebner-Eschenbach that were not censored by her at a later date, and which throw light on her years in Znaim as a young wife and budding writer. This new archive of material enables us to gain more insight, especially into her manners of working and writing. The most important discovery is the identification of a very early text Carl I. von England und die hervorragenden Charactere seiner Zeit. Historische Studie, that Ebner-Eschenbach published under a pen name in 1854. It is based on the (lost) drama Strafford and refers to later dramatic works such as the tragedy Maria Stuart in Schottland (1861).The principles regarding the constitution of texts and explanatory notes follow the principles of textual editing and criticism adhere to the usual standards in Modern German letter-editing. All of the texts were reproduced exactly according to the manuscripts, and then they were described and commented on. The French passages in Knorrs letters were translated into German. A main focus was set on the description of the attachments to the letters. A biographical and introductory essay, an editorial report, an index of names and titles as well as a bibliography complete the volume. It is going to be published at the Akademie-Verlag Berlin in spring 2014.The edition of the correspondence not only represents a significant source of research about Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, it also opens perspectives in the fields of comparative literary studies, Romance philology, English language and literature, translation science, cultural-, social- and ecclesiastical history, gender- and media-studies, book science and studies in biography- and letter-writing.