Arthur Schnitzler - Critical Edition - Early Works IV

The works of Arthur Schnitzler (18621931), a classic of Viennese modernism, were only published in reading editions, i.e. reproductions of their (first) prints, until 2011. Their genesis could not be traced, although Schnitzer kept a large number of manuscripts, from drafts and first elaborations up to the final version. This was due on the one hand to his nearly illegible handwriting, and on the other to the intricate situation of his estate: in 1938, after the so-called "Anschluss" to Nazi Germany, Schnitzler`s left papers were transferred to England to the Cambridge University Library for safekeeping. The majority of the work manuscripts are still there. Schnitzler`s son later entrusted the diary and correspondence to the German Literature Archive in Marbach; further parts of the literary remains are kept in Exeter, Geneva, Jerusalem and elsewhere. Therefore, scientifically, a historical-critical edition documenting the genetic stages of the works was imperative, especially since the reading texts published by Fischer-Verlag are severely unreliable due to various proceedings of correction and editing. Three preliminary projects (20102014, 20142018, 20182021) have undertaken research on Schnitzler`s early works (18891904). Thus far, twelve volumes have been published by De Gruyter, including such prominent texts as "Anatol", "Liebelei" and "Reigen"; three further volumes are currently in print or in preparation for print. Since 2018, in addition to the print edition, the e-books produced by de Gruyter have also been made available in open access. The edition presents all preserved textual witnesses to the respective work, such as handwritten drafts, various stages of genesis or elaboration. These are reproduced as facsimiles or as digital copies in their original size. Next to each, the transcriptions, i.e. the deciphered versions of the manuscript, are provided. In addition, the volumes contain a reading text, usually based on the very first print (whether as a book or in a journal); if later editions still show alterations, this is documented up to the last version still checked and revised by Schnitzler himself. Furthermore, an introduction to the history of genesis and printing is given; a commentary explains historical, cultural and literary contexts or specifically Austrian or obsolete use of language. The new project aims to publish eight stories that appeared in 1905 and 1907 in the volumes "Die griechische Tänzerin" and "Dämmerseelen". It is precisely these texts, some of which were written much earlier, such as the masterful novella "Der blinde Geronimo und sein Bruder", that show Schnitzler`s psychological narrative art, which was already recognized by his contemporaries. With the completion of this project, all early prose texts published in book editions during Schnitzler`s lifetime will have been edited in historical-critical terms.

Until 2011, the works of Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931), a classic of Viennese Modernism, were available only in reading editions. These reproductions of the (first) printed versions were often inaccurate due to various processes of correction and editorial revision. Moreover, it was impossible to trace the genesis of the works, although Schnitzler preserved many of his manuscripts-from initial notes and drafts to the final versions. The fact that these materials had not previously been published was due, on the one hand, to Schnitzler's almost illegible handwriting and, on the other, to the dispersal of his literary estate to various institutions following the "Anschluss" to Nazi Germany. For scholarship, a historical-critical edition providing reliable reading texts and documenting the stages of composition was therefore urgently needed. This task was undertaken beginning in 2010 in three preliminary projects (2010-2014, 2014-2018, 2018-2021). By 2021, thirteen volumes on Schnitzler's early work had been published by De Gruyter, including such prominent texts as "Anatol", "Liebelei", and "Reigen". The e-books of the volumes published since 2018 are also available as open access editions. In the fourth project, eight short stories were edited: "Andreas Thameyer's letzter Brief," "Der blinde Geronimo und sein Bruder," "Exzentrik," "Die Fremde," "Die grieschische Tänzerin," "Das neue Lied," "Das Schicksal des Freiherrn von Leisenbohg," and "Die Weissagung." The texts published in 1905 and 1907 in the volumes "Die griechische Tänzerin and "Dämmerseelen illustrate both Schnitzler's psychological narrative art-already recognized by his contemporaries-and the thematic and formal complexity of his works. The analysis of the genetic process reveals remarkable developments, as in the masterful novella "Der blinde Geronimo," which evolved toward a more hopeful ending. Newly discovered historical sources-for example, relating to "Das neue Lied"-not only deepen our understanding of Schnizler's work but also of early twentieth-century popular culture. During the project period, "Der Witwer. Die Gefährtin", a one-act play developed from a novella about a man who learns of his deceased wife's infidelity, and the drama "Der einsame Weg", Schnitzler's intricately constructed reckoning with the myth of the hedonistic artist, were also published. Each volume presents transcriptions of all surviving textual witnesses of a given work; in the case of manuscripts, facsimiles in original size are also reproduced. In addition, a reading text-usually based on the very first printing-is provided, along with a list of variants up to the last version personally reviewed by Schnitzler. The introduction outlines the history of the work's composition and publication; a commentary explains, among other things, cultural-historical contexts and specifically Austrian linguistic usage.