Letters of Auerbach

Scholarship in Times of Extremes: Letters of Erich Auerbach (1933-46), on the Fiftieth Anniversary of His Death Author(s): Erich Auerbach,
Martin Elsky, Martin Vialon and Robert Stein Source: PMLA, Vol. 122, No. 3 (May, 2007), pp. 742-762 Published by: Modern Language Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25501741 . Accessed: 14/01/2014 14:53
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[
little-known documents
PMLA
of Extremes: Letters of ErichAuerbach (1933-46), on the
inTimes Scholarship
Introduction
of HisDeath
Fiftieth Anniversary
TO COMMEMORATE THE OF THESELETTERS TRANSLATIONS WE PRESENT OF ERICH AUERBACH OFTHEDEATH FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY (1892-1957)
and to remember the communityof colleagues and friendsofwhich he was part. The historical background is the coincidence of the rise of the Nazis inGermany and thewesternization of the universities inTurkey.AuerbachTs exile fromGermanywas made possible by the cultural situation inTurkey. now during times of terribleextremes, these letters Recounting everyday life stand out as examples of human dignityachieved throughunrelentingschol arship. The general outlines of AuerbacIVs intellectual biography are well when he known.We focus here on the period of greatest turmoil inhis life, was forced to leave the Universityof Marburg and move to Turkey.This pe riod begins with Paul von Hindenburg's appointment of Hitleras chancellor we present here. of Germanyon 30 January1933, the day after the firstletter members faced dismissal by the newly installed ByApril 1933 Jewishfaculty of civil ser the lawsconcerning "the restoration which instituted Nazi regime, des Berufsbeamtentums). vicewith tenure" (Wiederherstellung Jewishscholars were stripped of theirpensions, theirofficialacademic titles,and any provi
ERICH AUERBACH
INTRODUCTION BY MARTIN AND ROBERT AND ELSKY, STEIN TRANSLATION VIALON,
MARTIN
sion forsurviving dependents. Auerbach, as a soldier decorated with the Iron World War I,believed that after this "con Cross forhis service on the front in German of solidation" {Gleichschaltung) universities,hewould be able to hold was only shortlybefore onto his chair inRomance philology forsome time. It his officialdismissal, duringa tripto ItalyinSeptember 1935, that he became aware of his misapprehension. The letters to Fritz Saxl (1890-1948), Karl
backdrop ofmemos Kurator Ernstvon Hulsen (1875-1950) sent to Auerbach requestingan accounting of his Jewish lineage and detailing Berlin'sdecrees, which forcedAuerbach to go on leave and then to retire,on 31 December
Biographical notes about the translators appear on page 744.
Vossler (1872-1949), and Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) reveal the increasing ofAuerbach's position by 1935, and theyshould be read against the difficulty
The lettersof Erich Auerbach are translated with the permission of Claude Auerbach. The letter of Walter Benjamin is translated with the permission ofSuhrkamp Verlag.
742
2007
BY THE MODERN
LANGUAGE
ASSOCIATION
OF AMERICA
12 2.3
Ericn Auerbach
743
1935.1 (VonHulsen also supported Auerbach's right to a pension and probably prevented his recall by defending himwhen Berlin had second thoughts about allowing an anti-Nazi Jewish professor to represent German scholarship abroad.) Auerbach was replaced by his doctoral assistant and friend Werner Krauss (1900-76), whose habilitation thesis on the Spanish bucolic novel he approved in 1932 (Krauss,"Die asthetischenGrundlagen"). Krausswas a privatdozent inMarburg from1932 to 1940,when he was drafted into theWehrmacht; later,he took the extreme, courageous step of joining the resis tance group organized by Harro Schulze-Boysen and Arvid Harnack (RedOrchestra), and in January 1943 he was sentenced to death forhigh treason. He was saved on the initiativeof some Marburg colleagues who helped to get the death sentence prison termbased inparticu changed to a five-year evaluation done after the trial laron the psychiatric by theWehrmacht. In 1947 hewas appointed at the of Leipzig, and in 1955 he established a University research center for the historyof the German and French Enlightenment at the Deutsche Akademie derWissenschaften in (East)Berlin. While dismissalswere being forcedon scholars inGermany,a wave of dismissals of Turkish schol
ars was sweeping over the southeastern corner of
and no activitythat has as itsgoal propaganda for any foreign government."2Inthis respect,his letters provide a shelter forpolitical comments he could not express in public. For example, he could ru minate to Benjamin about his criticismof the very project he was employed to oversee, the Europe anization of Turkey. In his letterto Traugott Fuchs (1906-97), he could ruminatewith intellectual in on the and a Socratic sense of self-criticism tegrity apparent triumphof evil. This letter inparticular brings together in themost poignant way the con nection between his personal Alltag, his own every day, and the analyses of historical transformation inhiswriting.Concepts and words used inhiswork on Giambattista Vico and Dante, on history and and con realism?words likerenewal {Erneuerung) crete {konkret)?now appear in his consideration of the current political crisis that brought him to Istanbul. The letter in factmarks an early use of the termAusgangspunkt ("pointof departure"), the category he would use, inhis 1939 letterto Martin doctoral assistant, Hellweg (1908-2006), his former to describe the analytic technique of hismost re cent work, "Figura," inwhich humanistic faith in historical renewal resonateswith Vico's concept of divine providence and Hegel's notion of the trick of reason {List der Vernunft): in both paradigms a Benjaminian foreboding of destructive ruin and
the metaphor combines of Paul Klee's/4/7ge/_/s Novus?which reaction in a messianic un progress and
a 3 0 t 3 & 0 A ? I ft 3
southern Europe; traditionalscholarswere deemed lacking by newly desired Western standards. The background to these measures was the founding of the Turkish national state by Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938) in 1923 and the radical reformsthat followed in its wake, which aimed to organize a modern civil state and raise the levelof economic and culturaldevelopment. Atatiirk'ssecular reform project affected the universitysystem,which was completely restructured. In July1933, byministe
rial edict, the Dar-ul-funun (Arabic for "House of
derstanding of history?is present.

Auerbach's exile in Istanbul was the driving force
towhichMimesisowes its there existence. Inhis refuge hewas surroundedby the new secular Islamic culture and theolder Ottoman cultureofTurkey. At the same time,because of thisculture'shistoricalconnections
to the Mesopotamian, Roman world and Greek of Ataturk's Aegean, attempt and Greco to integrate work is
was closed down, and it was Teaching") at Istanbul renamed IstanbulUniversitesi inAugust. The newly reformed institution provided an opportunity for the teachers dismissed fromthe universitiesof Nazi Germany to finda new sphere of activity (Seyhan). Essential foran understandingof Auerbach's letters is that he had agreed inhis contract "to undertake no politicalf,]economic[,] and commercial activity
these elements
into the new state, Auerbach's
geographicallyclose to theancient and Western tradi tradition of the Eastern tion; theChristian-Byzantine was stillpresent inthe former Roman Empire capital were and of Mimesis written parts Constantinople, between 1942 and 1945 intheDominicanmonastery of San Pietro di Galata, towhich Auerbachwas given access byAngelo Roncali, the futureJohn XXIII.
744
Timesof Extremes: Letters of Erich Auerbach (1933-46) PMLA Scholarshipin The terrible pressure of events and the rich ness of location combined, paradoxically, tomake this period of personal turmoil a period of intel lectual creativity. In Istanbul Auerbach's interest in Christian realism reached its highest point of development as the trajectorythat began with his book on Dante reached its fulfillmentin Mimesis. Our intention is to affordEnglish-speakingscholars an opportunity to hear Auerbach's voice during this dark period of both anguish and fruitful productiv As interest inAuerbach inGermany continues ity. to rise and importantwork on Auerbach contin ues to come out inGerman (Barckand Treml; Bor we hope that even a small sampling muth; Vialon),3 ofmaterial that reveals his Turkish,German, and American relationships, material not otherwise known to English-speaking readers,will spur new thought about hiswork. It is fittingthat these let ters appear inPMLA, since Auerbach prepared the way forhis postwar emigration to the United States with hiswartime article on the history ofword pas which was published in this journal in 1941. 5/0,
1. The Archiv tains fourmemos
? E 3 y 0 ? 0 c i
months
ing his status. Von Hiilsen was theKurator of the university between 1920 and 1945; his tenure was interrupted for five between 1932 and 1933, when he held the position province Hesse. to a appended 1936 (Archiv der nr. 2261). 310 Accl978/15 appears dated to have been 19 August of the Prussian
con der Philipps-Universitat Marburg sent by von Hiilsen toAuerbach explain
of Oberprasident
2. The contract letter to von Hiilsen Philipps-Universitat
letters unpublished will appear inVialon, Erich Auerbachs Briefe von 1922 bis 1957 (Tubingen: Francke). The project is being supported Bonn, in col by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, laboration with the Zentrum fur Literaturforschung, Ber lin, which has sponsored much new work on Auerbach.
Marburg 3. Several hundred of Auerbach's
Translators
MARTIN ELSKY ison the faculties of the PhD programs glish and in comparative in En literature at the Graduate Center, City
University of New York, and isa member of the English Depart ment of Brooklyn College. He is the coordinator of the Renais sance Studies Certificate Program at the Graduate Center and is articles editor of Renaissance Quarterly. He has published widely on early modern English poetry and prose, and his cur rent project concerns the various German intellectual and con fessional backgrounds of Erich Auerbach's MARTIN VIALON teaches German literaryhistory.
literature and philosophy
Notes
We would like to express our gratitude to the following for their help: Karlheinz Barck and Martin Treml (Zen trum fur Literaturforschung, Bormuth Berlin), Matthias
at Yeditepe University, in Istanbul. He focuses on late antiq uity, medieval philosophy, the Enlightenment, classical and literature, German idealism, ethics and literature. His publica critical, aesthetic, and Romantic German
political theory, and modern German tions have addressed hermeneutics;
Gerhard Fichtner (Univer (University of Tubingen), sity of Tubingen), Geoffrey Field (Purchase College), Hermann Petra Hardt Fuchs (Heidelberg), (Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt), Michael HerkenhofT (Handschriften und Landesbibliothek Bonn), abteilung, UniversitatsIn MacEwan Charles Hope and Dorothea (Warburg
cultural theory; the history of the humanities; exile; modern German literature; and modern art. He isediting the letters of Erich Auerbach at the Zentrum fur Literatur- und Kultur
forschung, in Berlin. ROBERT STEIN, Doris and Carl Kempner Distinguished Profes sor of Humanities at Purchase College and adjunct professor of English and comparative istheauthorof literature at Columbia University, (U of Notre Dame P, 2006). Reality Fictions: Romance, History, and Gov literaryand
In Frank Mecklenburg stitute, London), (Leo Baeck stitute), Sigrid von Moisy (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munchen), Brigitte Peters (Zeitschrift fiir Germanistik, Berlin), Lawrence Rosenwald (Wellesley College), Azade Seyhan (Bryn Mawr College), Gerhard Sharon (New York (Graduate Center, City City). We thank Timothy Krause University of New York) for his editorial assistance.
ernmental Authority, 1025-1180
He has also written extensively on contemporary historiographical theory.
12 2.3 Erich Auerbach
745
Scholarship inTimes of Extremes: Lettersof ErichAuerbach Anniversaryof His Death
on the Fiftieth (1933-46),
Letter V
Prof. Dr. Erich Auerbach Seminar der Universitat2 Prof. Dr. Erich Rothacker 41
Letter 29
Prof. Dr. Erich Auerbach
Romanisches
FriedrichstraEe 3
Marburg Prof. Dr. Karl Vossler
Schuhmannstr. Bonn
am Rhein
Munich 22. 5. [19]33 Lieber Herr Geheimrat,10 Above all else I would
Marburg, 29. 1. [19]333 Lieber Herr Rothacker,4 Enclosed, thework of [Werner] Krauss;5 must have been, as itappears, just now tran it
since we by far preferVj [Vierteljahrsschrift], I want as much as possible to put off the answer to the other until I have a decision from you.6 I hope to come to Bonn
give me a decision? We have, that is, one day before your card arrived, approached another j journal]? this one too wants the paper. But
scribed, otherwise you would have already itbe pos received it several days ago. Would sible foryou to read it through very soon and
like to thank you and yours11 warmly for the friendly day in Munich?it did me much good, and I will keep a pleasant and comforting memory of you all, even of Herr Rheinfelder.12 On Mon
day morning, in somewhat gusty weather and with a pleasant outlook nevertheless, I flew to Frankfurt, and by Tuesday a friendly line al ready came from [Leo] Spitzer?under
influence to be sure.13
your
me sufficiently at least frommy work to know that I can understand themotives of your po
inMay to speak at the Dante Society and would be happy to be able to speak with you then. Something has been weighing on my heart. You know
me, exactly because to a great extent I owe my scholarly existence to your insights,8 ifyou wanted to deny me the right to be a German. I would very much like clarification from your own mouth [miindlich].
Warm greetings,
litical views.7 But yet it would pain me much, exactly because you know me and some like
man. At the same time, it struck me that he kept me after the end of our conversation and
will be coming back). He already knew that at our interview, forhe came directly from Berlin; I did not yet [know]. He is a smart and decent
A few days ago I had an official meeting with our new Kurator, who returns to themin istry in Berlin (the old H[er]r v[on] Hiilsen, Oberprasident ofHesse for the past 5months,
asked quite specifically about Spitzer?how he was regarded by colleagues, how he came to his current situation, and so forth.14 In the process, he emphasized in several ways that in these things it is only a matter of temporary
and interim solutions; suspensions measures
Your Auerbach
have merely been spoken of as leaves. Now that theminister has the student body in hand, one
746
Scholarship
in Times of Extremes:
Letters of Erich Auerbach
(1933-46)
PMLA
m S ? w ? e ? ?
could hope for an easing of tension.151 have told Spitzer nothing about this; it is too vague, though the intentionwas clear and unmistak
wish now towrite tomy friends, colleagues, and thosewith whom I have shared intellectual connections so that they can advise me if they know of something. That is how you come to this letter,and I beg you to inform those people
tell him or write to him what you think best. I have doubts whether theKurator and even the ministry]
able, even in the sense that I should pass iton.16 I do that rather to you than to Sp[itzer]?please
4-)
is too optimistic; and further I have misgivings that Sp[itzer] could be careless: if such things become public, it can make every good intention impossible. It doubtless does exist, whether only just in general or also in specific cases is hard to say.
who are close to the Warburg Library. But that would be unnec must be done carefully, for it essary forGerman officials to learn ofmy de
parture
well informed; that Iwas a librarian for several years, from [19]23 to [19]29, at the Staatsbiblio thek is also well known to you. Possible evalua tions from colleagues and seniors at home and
prematurely.
About
me
you
are
rather
Please give both of our most earnest [an to your family?and gelegentlichst] regards warmest greetings to you from Your
available, if requested. I in will be Italy for another fewweeks myself Pensione Milton, Via di Porta Pinci (Rome, ana)?after that, about 10Oct., Marburg, Fried the political situation will richstr. 3?unless
necessitate my returning sooner. Incidentally,
abroad can be made
A[uerbach] E[rich]
the Academic
Assistance
Council
in London
Letter 317
Palazzo Ravizza
invitedmy application inDecember 1934, and at the time I answered that I planned to stay in you think it Germany for the time being?do makes 18 sense to contact this institution?19 again, please forgive this assault and accept greetings from your most obliged and very devoted Once
E. Auerbach 12. 9. 1935
Pian dei Mantellinini

Siena Tel. 20-402
Cable Ravizza Siena
Sehr verehrter Herr Saxl, Please do not take it amiss if I abuse our brief acquaintance by assaulting you with this You can easily imagine extremely solemn letter. what it is about: I believe thatmy family and I (I have a wife and a child of 12) cannot endure it much longer inGermany.18 To be sure, I am still inmy official position, colleagues and stu Letter 420
Prof. Dr. Siena Prof. Dr. Karl Vossler Erich Auerbach
Munich
15. 9. 193521
dents and other friends behave decently, many the child has no unbearable superbly?even difficulties?but it cannot continue much
lon
ger like this. You will understand can my going into details. Retirement, which I take ifnecessary, would not improve the situa
thiswithout
tion. On the contrary. So Imust try,as difficult as it is, to find something suitable abroad, and
bined card from Bologna.221 was very happy to see S[pitzer] again; he has hardly changed, was a very either externally or otherwise; and it is going he that must know You pleasant day.
Sehr verehrter Herr Geheimrat, You must certainly have received our com
12 2.3
Erich Auerbach
747
to America
next summer, and in connection
Letter 528
Rome Pensione Milton
with this fact he has made
more time to think. courage for itand asked for He said I have until November to decide. Before that, Iwould theworld?for like to look around in the rest of if I undertake such plans, Iwant
in a letter.23 Until recently such thoughts were time I did not have the far frommy mind?this
certain proposals that concern me personally?as he earlier did
5" ? 23. 9. [19]35 3 & 0 ft ? 3 3
Via di Porta Pinciana
to do it right?and his proposal is indeed espe cially kind as a mark of his friendship, besides also being, if it materializes, financially advan it does not temptme verymuch, tageous?but
your contribu tion in last Saturday's Neue Zurcher Zeitung.29 What a joy! That you are still here, that you
Lieber Herr Benjamin, My wife just discovered
for thisworld, as I know from his and others'
are writing?and with a tone that evokes memories of a home that vanished so long ago! Please let us know right away where you
least a year ago, when a professor to teach Ger
have to get busy with these plans and would be grateful to you for any possible suggestions or
stories, is quite good for a guest performance, but certainly not for long-termwork. I therefore
are and how you are. I had thought of you at
Rheinfelder
advice, especially about the Iberian circle; I only know Castro, and even him only fleetingly.24 Imust also thank you for something else: (towhom I send heartfelt greet if he should be in your proximity) wrote ings, tome thatyou want to accept my studentMar
man was being sought for Sao Paulo. I found your (Danish) address at that time through the Frankfurter Zeitung, and I communicated it to the right authorities, but nothing came of it, and towrite to you from Germany had become senseless. We are probably here until
[Generaldurchsicht] so that his work will be more complete and sharp. Concerning my own work on realism, thatwill have towait a while; theremay still be more to get out of it.26
tinHellwegs work on conscience;25 because of that I have assigned him another examination
4 October, and thenwith Dr. Binswanger for a few days, Castello-Firenze, Villa la Limonaia, Via di Quarto 9.301 had a very sad letter from Beverdell in Prague;31 it seems that Bloch too is in Paris; his book, which I just recently read, shows him in his complete and undiminished
my house knows ofmy thoughts, and for the time being no one needs to know. [I increas ingly dislike dealing with these plans, and am increasingly ready to hope for a miracle. But as things are, I cannot hold out much longer.]27
We want to stay in Italy for a while longer, until the beginning of October; should you want to give me some advice about my plans, you can reach me in Rome, Pensione Milton, Via di Porta Pinciana. Incidentally, no one in
Werner
manner.32 Someone may like this. We are well; I am always inmy office, but Imake very little use of it;my privatdozent,
whether Iwill stillbe giving lectures in thewin ter,nevertheless, it is possible; it is impossible to give you a picture of the oddity ofmy situ
ation. At any rate, it has advantages over some
Krauss, reads the lecture, holds the seminars and examines; he proves himself first rate in every respect. It seems very questionable
I hope you are having a pleasant holiday am and with themost pleasant greetings and regards Your E[rich] Auerbach
make plans; whether anythingwill beginning to come of them is to be sure entirely uncertain. Please write! Warm from us both, your Erich Auerbach greetings and wishes
others, yet hardly a chance of continuing, and it becomes more senseless day by day; and so I am
748
Letters Timesof Extremes: of Erich Auerbach (1933-46) PMLA Scholarshipin return in a few days. I have already written to a young Swiss, Dr. Hilde Binswanger, the
s ? 3 W ?
Letter 633
Florence Castello, Villa Limonaia
Via di Quarto 9 6. Oct. [19]35
? i $
will yet happen one well.341 really hope that it Paris book, I've known day. Regarding your
set eyes on your childhood book as a com course it is our childhood as plete work?of
Lieber Herr Benjamin, We found your letter yesterday, upon our too am very sorry thatwe will not arrival?I
I would have a chance to her family?there make initial payments inGerman currency.38 Please forgive the radical materialism of these lines. They arise from the sentiments that you yourself uninhibitedly express in your letter. All best wishes from both of us, Your E[rich] A[uerbach]
you whatever is possible. She is very kind, and I (mywife especially) have old connections to
daughter of theKreuzling neurologist.37 She is traveling to Paris, and shemay see and do for
it for a long time?at one time itwas to be called "Paris Passages." That will be a real document, ifonly there are still people who
read documents.
I have infinite stories to Yes, Marburg: tell you, but they can't be written, and not only for reasons of appearance. In general, it (I have of course required no great wisdom inherited the books of wisdom) but only a certain clarity, which was often not easy to
Letter 739
E. Auerbach Friedrichstr. Marburg-Lahn Herr Professor Dr. Saxl 3.
I do. That is nice, but it conduces to foolish ness: it leads to the belief that there is some
get. I live there among honorable people who are not of our stock,who have completely dif ferent presuppositions?and they all think as
TheWarburg Institute
London S.W. 1 17. 10. 1935.
the thing on which one could build?while are even if there of individuals, many opinion of them, doesn't matter at all.35 This trip has freed me from this error for the first time.
Sehr verehrter Dr. Saxl, Many thanks for your cordial
letter of
Assistance
I have the 15th of this month.40 Meanwhile, also already applied several weeks ago to the Council. I did not expect that you could have given me a more favorable answer
we can't speak Finally, the practical: about direct help, neither from here nor from Marburg, because I, and even both my sisters in-law, have entirely taken advantage of even themost distant possibilities. I have enough
at themoment; to begin with, my intention is to inform as many of the relevant people and offices as possible ofmy situation and plans, support me in this effort, as often as the occasion presents itself,my let terwould have fulfilled its goal, and I [would] and ifyou will
friends in Paris?my previous academic guests inMarburg?including Fernandez, Malraux, how can they Chamson36?but Guehenno, help you? With a job? Shall I write to any of them? I have not had a good experience with the readiness ofthe French to help?but ifyou think so, I'll happily write?communicate your wishes tome, please, abbreviated and signed with initials, toMarburg, where Iwill
owe you the greatest thanks. was Incidentally, the day before yesterday I
suspended and relieved ofwhatever remaining me. stock of responsibilities was still left With Your themost obliging greetings,
Auerbach
12 2.3
Erich Auerbach
749
Letter 841
Istanbul-Bayazit
when Warm Your
the move
into the house
is finished.
greetings frommy wife and Erich A[uerbach]
r+ 5" 3 0 * 3 a o n c 3 ft 3
Edebiyat Faculty 20th,home: Istanbul-Bebek,Arslanli Konak) (after 12.Dec. Lieber Herr Benjamin, My former Marburg [19]36
colleague Werner me to tell asked Kr[auss] you that he sent his work about Corneille "not for the sake of the work itself but rather in the hope of an occa sional friendly contact."
I am making use of the occasion to com
Letter 943
Paris 14
23 rue Benard
21 December
1936
municate my new address to you and to give you some knowledge of the altered circum
stances of my life. I've been here since the middle of September; my wife and Clemens for threeweeks. Furniture and books are in transit. The situation here is not exactly simple, but it is not without charm. They have thrown all tra dition overboard here, and theywant to build a thoroughly rationalized?extreme Turkish
Lieber Herr Auerbach, Your letter was a great pleasure forme for several reasons. First, it tellsme that you to clear up a more and more have managed oppressive situation in the happiest fashion. as a result, itputs me in a direct ex Second[,] of change thoughts with you again. cannot It surprise you if I greet this new situation with
of the European sort. The is process going fantastically and spookily fast: ishardly anyone who knows Ara there already bic or Persian, and even Turkish textsof the past nationalist?state century will quickly become incomprehensible since the language is being modernized and at the same time newly oriented on "Ur-Turkish," and it is being written with Latin characters. "Romanologie"
I am the only
themost warm and repeated thanks for the way you have assured me of your friendship in the dark past. I am think ing as much ofthe indirect personal contacts you undertook forme as ofthe direct practi cal help you accorded me. A little book, which I recently had pub lished in Switzerland under my pseudonym,44
is fundamentally a luxury, and

cultural historian among the
shall say all this again in its own way. Itwill come to you as soon as the press sends me the
copies I ordered.
real
The work
newly hired Europeans. And I have to organize instruction in all the Western languages in the sorts and all of other things as well. university, is truly laborious because one has to battle with all themost curious difficulties, therpractically nor personally uninteresting. My colleague who I named above, and iswell known
resistances?yet, it is nei
For the note about the Corneille,45 many thanks. Iwill read the issue attentively, and I'll write to the author, about whom I've heard favorable things, to acknowledge my receipt of the gift. Now I am somewhat impatient to hear more about the extremely interesting?and in certainly worthy of note?experiences, which you are now involved. Am taken?or is Spitzer also in Istanbul? The I mis
misunderstandings,
his assistant, who
to you, are
very experienced and have earned my trust in everything. How are you? I recently saw your name and the names of some other friends in a journal that is much read here.42 Please send some news; Iwill write more circumstantially
journal, which recently fell into your hands, does not contain what I consider the most interesting work of that time. The Zeitschrift fur Sozialforschung, which is put
750 V) <H C ? 3 y ? ? ? ? i
Letters Timesof Extremes: of Erich Auerbach (1933-46) PMLA Scholarshipin out by Alcan, publishes it?unfortunately with long delays. I am sending you an offprint of some work on the theory of language that appeared there.46 relationship with Ernst Bloch fortunately not what itwas. I want to hope My is un
extremely interesting. The whole monstrous mass of difficulties, troubles, cross-purposes, on the part of the lo and misarrangements cal authorities, and the local conditions that me not drive some colleagues to despair, is for
that it is only a passing moment. But we have arrived at an age in which one should no longer indulge in such intermezzi. How it is for him?but his last book was a tough en durance test for our friendship, and some of I hope that the new year will find you well settled inwith your family and among your books. accompany over the other. Warmly, Your Walter Benjamin its supports have worked themselves loose.
engage my ordinary abilities. Here again, I am the successor to Spitzer, who has gone to Baltimore; I am thankful to him, Croce, and Vossler for this solution, which was not simple
unpleasant, since it is the occasion for obser vations farmore interesting, it goes without saying, than any of the usual activities that
In this hope, may my best wishes you over the one threshold and
to arrange, because at least seven comrades in fate, and several European ministers of culture, particularly the German and the French, did
not look kindly on my candidacy.48 Spitzer left seven German assistants behind for me, six of
Christian descent, all emigrated in 1933, each in his own way first-rate, and all bonded with
each other in themost pleasant way through their similar fate and identical activities. We
mance Letter 1047

Istanbul-Bebek
German
teach all the European philologies here?Ro language and literature, English lan guage and literature, classical philology,
Arslanli Konak 3. 1. [19]37 Lieber Herr Benjmin, Many thanks for your letter and the soci
language and literature. We try to influence the instructional life and the library the administrative man and to Europeanize agement of scholarship all theway from the in structional grid down to the card catalog. That is naturally absurd, but the Turks want it,even if they occasionally try to get in theway. So far, of this country I only know Istan
me
to read; and a German assistant, who helped shelve my books, took away the offprint with him right away. But I am getting itback, and we are enjoying your book verymuch. I am fine here. Marie and Clemens are
not yet read it though, because at the institute someone pulled me away and therewas no time
ology of language report, which I had noticed a little while ago in the journal displayed in the local Institute forNational Economy. I have
bul, a wonderfully situated but also unpleas ant and rough city consisting of two different parts: the old Stambool, of Greek and Turkish origin, which still preserves much of the pa tina of its historic landscape, and the "new"
Pera, a caricature and completion of the Eu ropean colonization of the 19th century, now
reasonably over theChristmas flu,which they had right in themiddle ofthe move; the house on the Bosporus is glorious; as far as research goes, my work
in complete collapse. There are the remains of dreadful luxury shops, Jews,Greeks, Arme nians, all languages, a grotesque social life, and the palaces of the former European em bassies that are now consulates. All along the Bosporus
or
is entirely primitive, but per sonally, politically, and administratively it is
one also sees decayed, or decaying,

nineteenth-century pal
museum-quality
122.3
Er'ch Auerbach
751
half-rococo
has become
decisively and completely ruled by Atatiirk and his Anatolian Turks?a naive, distrustful, honest, somewhat blunt and boor ish but also emotional they are accustomed race ofmen. Because
aces of sultans and pashas in a half-oriental, style. But in general, the country
was compulsorily introduced a few years ago, the specific properties of the language are rapidly decaying. I could report many indi vidual needs
more
*?* ft ir 3 0 * 3 a o c 3 ft 3 H?
instances frommany areas. The whole to be grasped together this way: I am

more convinced that the contem
and
to slavery and hard, slow work, they are tougher and more unpolished, and also more rigid and more surly, than
The "grand chef" is a sympathetic autocrat, smart, grand, and imaginative, completely different from his European counterparts because
southern Europeans, but at the same time they are quite likable and have much vital energy.
porary world situation is nothing other than the cunning of providence to lead us along a bloody and circuitous route to the Interna tionale of Triviality and Esperanto culture. I thought this already inGermany and Italy, especially in the horrifying inauthenticity of "Blubopropaganda," but here for the first time ithas become a certainty for me.49
Yet he time the situation was as follows....") has had to accomplish everything he has done in a struggle against the European democra cies on the one hand, and on the other against the old Muslim,
he has actually himself turned this country into a state and because he is abso without eloquence. (His memoirs begin: lutely 19 "On May 1919,1 landed in Samsun. At this
I really wanted towrite you some words about my last year inGermany, but I have to put itoffbecause I've been interrupted several times while writing this letter,and now I have no more time. That your relationship with
Ernst Bloch is cloudy makes me sorry forboth of you; but perhaps you are doing well not to take the clouds too heavily: you have known him for a long time, some peculiarities of his character are to be placed in the balance, and perhaps on this proper basis a lasting relation ship could be recovered. How is Burschell, and where mann is he?50 My brother-in-law Haus
pan-Islamist sultan economy, and the result is a fanatical, antitraditional a renunciation of all existing nationalism: Islamic cultural tradition, a fastening onto a
exiles as teachers, from whom one can learn without being afraid that theywill spread for in eign propaganda. The result: Nationalism the superlative with the simultaneous destruc tion ofthe historic national character. This
hated and envied Europe with ons. Hence the predisposition
fantasy "ur-Turkey," technical modernization in the European sense in order to strike the its own weap for European
and his wife, recently fled from Ibiza, have reported from Switzerland that he might be in Paris.51 It seems doubtful that you are in any kind of a situation to help; nevertheless, I am certain of your friendly readiness, and so I
will in any case forward your address to him. I hope to hear from you again soon, and
configuration, which in other countries such as Germany, Italy, and indeed also in Russia (?) is not yet a certainty for everyone, steps forth here in complete nakedness.
reform?at once fantastical
you are in themost friendly remembrance of us both

Your
The
lan
E[rich] andM[arie]
A[uerbach]
guage
ur-Turkish
("free" from Arabic and Persian influences) and modern-technical?has made it certain that no one under 25 can any longer under stand any sort of religious, literary, or philo more than ten years old and that, sophical text under the pressure ofthe Latin script, which Letter 1152
Istanbul-Bebek
Arslanli Konak
752 w s ? 3 W 0 c 0 e i
Letters Auerbach (1933-46) PMLA Timesof Extremes: of Erich Scholarshipin 28. 1. [19]37 Lieber Herr Benjamin, I am writing to you in a great hurry, to thank you warmly for your book, and this book in turn is to blame for my being in such a hurry.53 Because just like a bolt of lightning or a very important visit in themidst of other activities, ithas pushed everything aside and and the true are united only in negatives?in active and positive they are weak and splintered. And yet what the good have
matters
thrown everything into disorder, so that I now have to hurry in order to catch up. You have put together a trulywonderful selection, it is possible right away? and I beg you?if to write and tellme if one can get the book in Germany, or at least ifone can send it to
from it.To seek for them inmyself, to track them down in theworld[,] completely absorbs me. The old forces of resistance?churches,
democracies, education, economic laws?are
in common must and will again take shape and regain unity and concreteness to become a visible sign; the pressure is so terribly strong that new historical forces must be emerging
visible
useful and effective only if they are renewed and activated through a new force not yet
work, whose offprint I have just received.54 Warmest greetings, your
Germany; Iwould like to have itgo to several same time a little people. I'm sending at the
is clear why these heavy claims on my time mo persistently pursue me[,] and why each ment of my life renews strengthens them.57
tome. Not before that. From my bi ography, my profession, and my writing, it
A[uerbach] E[rich]
I know well what themost general rules and direction of the expected renewal must be. I
know well enough how to reject all distorted, or ideas. Only it is false and half measures
not concrete, not yet. The consequence: I am
Letter 1255
Prof. Dr. Erich Auerbach
a teacher who does not concretely know what he should teach. I do not know what I have to say to those who expect something con crete from me (a piece of advice, a topic, a best I can say something basic decision)?at even that is not practical for themoment, but so different from basic principles when there are none. which who
Istanbul-Bebek
Arslanli Konak
Traugott Fuchs
Istanbul-Bebek
22. 10. [19]38 Lieber Fuchs,56 I still owe you the promised explanation. Can you imagine that someone can be so in
further from me?you have misunderstood?than am unrecognized,

to use the powers
I do not consider the condition in I find myself unique; there are many is are just like me, or similar. Nothing recently seemed to to believe, that I in thewrong place, unable
I was never unrec
a tensely and exclusively busy for years with or a particular difficulty particular problem, him so much with it absorbs that challenge,
I have.
with me. The challenge is not to grasp and digest all the evil that's happening?that's not too difficult?but much more to find a
all its force that only with effort can he find how it is strength for anything else? That's
point of departure [Ausgangspunkt] for those historical forces that can be set against it. All those who today want to serve the right
in the light cretely knew how and what[,] in life circumstance of every circumstance this is which I happened to find myself?and now hidden not only fromme but from every
one in similar circumstances, that is, every
to say or do, ognized; where I had something I could also say or do it.On the contrary, I could be immediately active again, if I con
one who cares for the dignity and freedom of
12 2.3
Erich Auerbach
753
:'i|Ik
.l|
:;M
First pageof the

letter translated on
752 and 755. ;1| pp.

The full German on P- 754. text is transcribed
J> /*
a*
\. *
tk^iy
.-.'?
: %$?
^%
>?^^^^teF'.
: , .. -.;.?/.^
,' & ....;-a
V?? ***: **i??
Y.y$m*m-f^>:
^^^
^ffl*^'?aM^M^<4^JUim*-^
/^uA
i|||-:F;.
754
Scholarship
(1933-46)
PMLA
Prof. Dr. Erich Auerbach Istanbul-Bebek Arslanli Konak Traugott Fuchs Istanbul-Bebek 22. 10. [19]38 Lieber Fuchs, Erklarung jemand schul
hen
unfahig die Krafte die ich habe zu gebrauchen. Ichwar

nie verkannt, wo ich etwas zu tun oder
als zu glauben,
i c h sei verkannt,
am
falschen
Ort,
habe iches auch tunund sagen konnen.Vielmehr konnte

ich sofort wieder und zwar aus aktiv sein, wenn ich konkret ich mich wiisste wie zu jeder Lebenskge, gerade und das ist jetzt nicht nur mir verborgen, alien die in ahnlicher Lage, d. h. fur die Wiirde in der allerhand
zu sagen
hatte,
fallig befinde sondern
Ich bin Ihnen noch die versprochene Konnen Sie sich vorstellen, dass dig.
und Freiheit des Menschen

unter nen ihnen viele, die mit Ideen, oder
Problem, einer bestimmten Schwierigkeitoder Aufgabe

beschaftigt spruch ist, so sehr mit ist, dass alien Kraften von anderen ihr in An nur mit genommen er zu allem
so heftigund so ausschliesslich mit einem bestimmten
jahrelang
in Sorge sind. Es gibt zwar

Rezepten, Abwendung abgestande vom Welt
lauf sich trostenund beruhigen. Das kann ichnicht. Ich von der geschichtlichenOrdnung iiberzeugt, bin zu tief
bin viel nen, als dass ich nicht musste und ich habe Leben nungen und zu sehr das Geschehende anzuerken genotigt aus ihm eine Korrektur erwarten andererseits zu viel (aus meinem
sogar mit volliger
nicht Muhe Kraftfindet?So geht esmir. Diese Aufgabe ist

zu verdauen zu all das Bose, was geschieht, begreifen und zu als vielmehr viele Schwierigkeiten das macht nicht
einen Ausgangspunkt furdie geschichtlichenKrafte zu waren. All die, die heut finden,die ihm entgegenzustellen noch dem Recht und derWahrheit dienen wollen, sind
nur im Negativen und einig im Aktiven Und wieder und Positiven sind sie schwach zersplittert. des Guten doch muss Gestalt, und wird Einheit und
aus Buchern)
um mich gelernt, noch
von Scheinhoff
tauschen
zu lassen. nicht, dass meine einzusetzen falsch spontane
Aktionskraftbeschadigt ist- sie funktioniertimNotfall

noch. meine Aber Rolle. Das sie falsch Die Nazis und impulsiv sagen: ist nicht als Ent lieber wo handeln
Ich glaube
vorlaufig
das Gemeinsame Konkretion
zum sichtbaren Zeichen werden; gewinnen, ist so ungeheuer der Druck stark, dass neue geschichtliche Sie bei mir zu suchen, Krafte aus ihm entstehen miissen. in der Welt spruch. Die aufzuspiiren alten Krafte Bildung, sichtbare nicht. nimmt mich in An vollkommen De Kirchen, sind nur dann eine neue, mir aktiviert meinem mich wer Be diese
garnicht.
ist inmanchen
Aber wir sind nicht schlussChancen gibt,gewiss richtig.
Lagen,
ein schneller
des Widerstands
mokratien, brauchbar noch nicht
und wirksam,
Wirtschaftsregeln wenn sie durch Kraft erneuert
Wir miis in solcher Lage, wenigstens nicht grundsatzlich. wenn sen und werden, die Zeit reif ist, richtig handeln wir warten, suchen und bereit sein. bis dahin miissen Bereit Es ist gar kein Zweifel, dass unter all dem meine schaft fur das Nachsten werde und wirst: Personlich-Menschliche kommt. wenn so was meines einzelnen zu kurz Ich fiihle das wie Du oft. Manchmal eindringt, mit Dir fertig arbeiten, und so
und
den. Vorher
Aus meiner
ruf und meinen Inanspruchnahme meines genblick
Arbeiten dauernd Lebens
Biographie, ist deutlich, warum
ich ungeduldig, denke: sieh doch links, rechts, schon
auf mich
zu, Mensch,
warum verfolgt und sie erneuert verstarkt.
Au jeder Ich weiss
links, rechts, essen, und und dann denke nimm
schlafen,
das wird
gehen, Welt,
ich an Gott nicht
wohl welches die allgemeinsten Regeln und Richtungen

der zu erwartenden gerade gut genug, oder sein miissen. Ich weiss Erneuerung um alle halben, schiefen und falschen Ideen abzuweisen. Allein sie selbst kon es
an die unendliche tisch. Aber und dass
Dich
pathe habe,
ich weiss es auch
auch,
dass
ich damit eigentliche ganz
unrecht Natur anders,
nicht meine
ist so zu und zu
fuhlen. weilen
Ich war kommt
darin es auch um viel
friiher einmal
Massregeln kretisiert Lehrer, weiss erwarten Entschluss), tisches kann satzlichen,
sich nicht, noch der nicht konkret ich denen, Rat,
ich bin ein nicht. Konsequenz: weiss, was er lehren soil. Ich die etwas Konkretes von mir
zelnes Wesen Leider blicks kann. ist das und
ein mich irgendein jetzt vor, dass ruhrt und ergreift. seiner selbst willen zu sehr Sache den man des glucklichen Augen nicht herbeizwingen namlich einen fast
nicht, was (einen
zu sagen ich sagen, das
habe
einen grundsatzlichen ein Thema, im Moment Prak allenfalls aber selbst das zu trennen. nicht oder neulich ist oft vom Grund Ich halte diese individuelle;
des Kontakts,
Ich habe
fehlt, nicht
Willen. Vielleicht hilft ermir da unermudlichen guten meine damit bei, eigentlichmenschlichen Beziehungen
zu meinen einzelnen Nachsten fruchtbarer werden.
eine gute Eigenschaft,
in der ich mich befinde, Lage, es ebenso es denen gibt viele, mir ferner Sie schienen liegt
fur eine ahnlich
Nichts geht. es falsch zu verste
Ihr E[rich] A[uerbach]
12 2.3
Erich Auerbach
755
man.58 There are certainly many among them who comfort and calm themselves with all kinds of prescriptions, stale ideas, or even by completely turning away from world events. I cannot do that. I am too deeply convinced
Letter 1359
Prof. Dr. E. Auerbach
Istanbul-Bebek Arslanli Konak
order, am much too com to pelled acknowledge what is happening not to feel compelled to expect a correction from of the historical events themselves?and I have on the other hand (from life and from books) to allow myself to be deceived by il lusory hopes. I do not yet believe for now that learned too much
Istanbul] Dr. Martin Hellweg

Heinrichstr. 67
ft I *r 3 0 $ 3 a o c 1 ft 3 VI
Fulda 22. 5 [19]39 Lieber Hellweg, Iwas very happy to hear from you again. Apologies foryour break inwriting are unnec
essary, no one now takes much
my spontaneous power to act is impaired?it still functions in emergency. But to exert it erringly and impulsively is not my role. The Nazis say: better to act in error than not at all. That is inmany circumstances, where a quick decision affords a chance of success, certainly
the time is ripe, act correctly?until then we have towait, look, and be ready.?There is no doubt at all that, given all this,my readiness vidual
right. But we are not in such a situation, at least fundamentally. We must and will, when
is not especially pleasant, yet it is conducive to work. Bear in mind, that Iwas 30 when I finally was able to conclude my studies, and in a rush at that, that I then spent 7 years at the Staatsbiblio thek, and was almost 38 when I brought out the Dante and arrived at the university[.]60?You
ing, and, besides, I am always happy whenever you finally do decide to [write].Your situation
pleasure
in writ
for the personal and the human inmy indi fellow man falls too short. I feel that
I become impatient if the on like intrudes me, and I think: take a look, man, how you come to terms with yourself: often. Sometimes left, right, left, right, eat, sleep, work, sure, that works, and then I think about God and the eternal world, and [I say tomyself] don't be somelodramatic. But I also know that I am wrong about that, and that it is also not my real nature to feel that. In the past I have been very different in this regard and sometimes it happens even now that some individual hu
ple ofweeks, aside from thewar years innorth ern France, which were not very productive for th4s scholarship?in many respects you have it much better.?Unfortunately I cannot send
lar character, whose appearance I expect one
are not yet too old!?Besides, I never had the more to be than a cou abroad for opportunity
you Figura and another shorter study of a simi of these weeks, because
I only have a few off and I with these must prints, try to reach some in not normally get related fields do who people to see philological journals.61 But you can either pump the things out of Kr[auss] or look at them in a U[niversity] L[ibrary]. "Figura" is in the is sue that just appeared?Oct [ober]-Dec[ember] [19]38?of Archiv[um] Roman[icum],
one?"Sacrae Scripturae sermo
man being stirs and moves me. Unfortunately it is too much a matter of the luckymoment and making contact, which one cannot force. I have one good quality, namely an almost tireless good will. Maybe it helps make my real human relationships with my individual fellowman more fruitful. Your
the other
humilis"?in
These things,by theway, may interestyou more for their methodology than their substance; are most for the part theological and con they
one ofthe next issues of Neuphilologische Mit which teilungen, Langfors publishes inHelsinki.
E[rich] A[uerbach]
cerned with classical philology. But method ologically I can especially recommend figura
756
Timesof Extremes: Letters of Erich Auerbach (1933-46) PMLA Scholarshipin you read the papers of E[rnst] on the Curtius R[obert] M[iddle] A[ges], which to you. Have it is, especially if it is intended for a journal, but do try in the future first of all to put your mind to use only in the choice ofthe concrete point of
c S 3 w 0 15 C 0 c i J2
Ph[ilolgie] and [were published] in part by Ro thacker and Schalk?62 The papers are full of self-denial [entsagungsvolle], but very essential and excellently put together. I would be very happy ifyou decided to continue your work,
Romfanische] appearedin the Z[eitschrift] [fiir]
history of a word or an interpretation of a pas sage. The specific phenomenon cannot be small
and especially ifyou would use a technique that starts out not from a general problem but from a well-chosen, specific phenomenon [Einzelphd nomen] that is easy to get a grip on; perhaps a
departure [Ausgangspunkt] (which is themost was years before I had found "la difficult) [it cour et la ville" or "figura,"]64 and after that to as as it much forget possible while working it out, that is, towait until you test the evidence to see whether and inwhat form itproves to be useful.65?I am happy that Kr[auss] has a nice apartment and writes his book (Cervantes or bucolics?).66 Aside from that, I worry about
him. Not only for external reasons. You know how much I like him, and how much I think of him in every way. But he is gradually becom ing all too learned, and his inclination to the strange in specifics, which, as I hope, would be
and concrete enough, and it should never be a concept introduced by us or other scholars but rather something the subject matter itselfpres ents. If one does otherwise, one has the great est difficultiesmaking the material serviceable,
overcome as he grew, does not abate. Much of what he writes I do not understand, and other friends of his also do not. Common a very trivial attribute, but he has much too much contempt for it[.]?The three of us are doing well. There's no lack of uncertainty and restlessness even now. But life is for the time be
and itnever succeeds without being forced.My Publikum and my work on realism,whether one approves the results or not, are properly put to gether: theyproceed from a small, unquestioned
sense is
collection ofthe facts ofthe case, and otherwise it would not go over well anymore today.63 In the case of French translations from German, I would
of what was
have first of all attempted a survey translated year by year, from the de la librarieor similar sources, [and] as Journal
ing enchanting here.?Only books, that is, a us able U[niversity]L[ibrary] is lacking, and travel is impossible. Cordial greetings from all of us, Your E[rich] A[uerbach]
best as possible also to ascertain the number of copies sought published (the information office ofGerman librarieswill help you, in the build ofthe Staatsbibliothek, Berlin, NW 7,which ing answers written inquiries). That's the kind also
Letter 1467
Prof. Dr. E. Auerbach
of data to start from.Your view of intercultural exchange [Austauschbeziehungen] and world literature seems tome to be good, but ifyou will begin on such a thing (arising only in your
Istanbul-Bebek
Arslanli Konak Dr. Martin Hellweg

Lindenstr. U.S. Zone Hesse 17
will only lead to preconceptions and head), it will tempt you to force thematerial. Itmust, if done right, grow out of concrete data?you can will change in the process, some be sure that it times threaten to disappear entirely, and pre sumably, finally,once again erupt, enriched and
Germany 22.6.1946
at the same time incarnate.?Naturally, Iwould leave the essay thatyou have already finished as
Lieber Hellweg, I was very happy to hear that you have survived everything intact. Despite all the re
12 2.3
Erich Auerbach
757
ports and letters I can form an idea of condi tions inGermany only with great difficulty; if I had freedom of movement (but I have nei ther passport nor money) dertake a reconnaissance are it is completely try to un trip, but as things impossible. On the other Iwould
drew. Our son Clemens attended theAmerican we worked for several college here, and then to to USA as an immigrant; him the send years therewas no other possibility. Finally, we suc
Harvard for a year; the separation was some
t+ ft i 3 0 * 3 a o c 3 ft 3 t+
ceeded, and he has been studying chemistry at
back; and Krauss, in contrast to all the others who in general have an opinion on this prob lem, strongly advises me to take the offer. It would be a difficult decision ifcircumstances allowed me freedom for a quick decision; but, even if the official invitation would soon fol would probably be long before I could low, it detach myself from here, and by then the situation might well be somewhat clarified. In any case, I believe one must have patience
hand, theremaybe some chance of returning since I hear theMarburgers want to call me
completely unsure].701 have worked a lotdespite my lack ofthe most important books; you will certainly have received some ofwhat I've done in time. Until now little has been published,
what bitter, especially formy wife, since the prospect ofmeeting again in the near future [is
</>
but this autumn several things should appear all at once. I am very curious about Krauss's
most recent writing, but printed material still appears not to be allowed.71Won't you tellme some more details about your own work, even if it is not about Romance studies?72 Are you really in contact with Borkenau, who indeed
with the viscosity ofthe Germans and their tenacity in holding on to the appearance of bourgeois geois orderliness orderliness [Burgerlichkeit]. Bour is indeed not only a political
attitude but also a human need, and even a society emerging from revolutionary events immediately seeks everyday security and customary order. After three decades of such
is doing over there?74 amenities the of our stay here many Among me wrote still from once, (Lowith Japan:warm istErhard Lommatzsch greetings from house to house) one ofthe most important is thatwe share them with quite a
landed inMarburg?73 And on what occasion did you speak at theUniversity of Frankfurt? Incidentally, do you know how the Roman
horrible experiments, after this conclusion, and in present circumstances, the Germans can be nothing other than terribly tired and in need of rest, though in themeantime are not offered any prospect of rest.
Krauss's health makes me worry
number of comrades in fortune [Schicksalgenos sen], emigrants of various kinds, most also at the university, many of them very smart and likable.75 Things have really not been bad forus, we have become rather poor; I could that only not bring out any funds at the time,wages are
you
a lot, he
Do colleagues ofthe former Romanistik staff? you know anything about Honsberg, Black ert, Janik,Viebrock?69
to him; everything is un fortunately horribly slow and laborious from here.68What has happened to the rest of the
probably needs much better nutrition to re cover; some friends and I are trying hard to get some packages
very low, and Clemens's expedition and study over there is also a difficult financial under taking, so that gradually all objects of value have gone toward it, even some ofmy books. But these are bourgeois worries_We did not
Things have gone well for us against all odds. The new order did not reach these straits; that really says itall.We have lived inour apart ment and suffered nothing but small discom
become Turkish, not even legally, now we are again "Germans without passports"; everything is temporary. At the university we have indeed achieved something, but by far not somuch as
forts and fear: until the end of [19]42 it looked very bad, but then the clouds gradually with
makes work very difficult, though admittedly theydo not have iteasy; I have learned here how
would have been possible; the precarious and often dilettantish politics ofthe administration
758 V) S ? 3 y 0 o c 0 c J* i
Timesof Extremes: Letters of Erich Auerbach (1933-46) PMLA Scholarshipin a non-European difficult it is to Europeanize a in short the time; country danger of practical and moral anarchy is very great. Write
7. Auerbach victions tellectuals German
is referring to Rothacker's political con and his anti-Semitic statement that Jewish in should be removed from their positions at broke offhis permanently
tome soon. My wife sends warm I send you and yours my best and greetings,
wishes.
universities. Auerbach
with Rothacker in 1933, after Rothacker correspondence refused to respond to his challenge to his anti-Semitism. In a letter to Ludwig (28 Oct. 1932), Auerbach Binswanger wrote about Rothacker: "I am offended that Rothacker so came out for the Nazis, and I have de demonstratively cided to give nothing more to the [Vierteljahrsschrift] (the Vico essay has lain there forWi years); of course I thereby
Your Erich Auerbach
Translators'
1.The Manuscript bibliothek, Rothacker bach's
Notes
in the Erich Rothacker ofthe UniversitatsNachlass, and Landes
harm myself more than him, for there is no other journal of this kind" ("Dass Rothacker sich so demonstrativ fur die Nazis erklart hat, habe ich ihm und iibelgenommen der Vj nichts mehr zu geben (der Vicovor beschlossen,
letter is held
Department Bonn. Auerbach's includes
and will appear letters. 2. Auerbach Seminar
with correspondence eighteen letters and nine postcards inVialon's forthcoming edition of Auer
trag lag dort seit Wi Jahren); freilich schadige ich damit mich mehr als ihn, denn eine andere Z[eit]s[chrift] die ser Art gibt es ja nicht" [Vialon, Martin Hellweg 66; our trans.; the letter is held in theWerner Krauss Nachlass, Akademie der Kunste]). Berlin-Brandenburgische 8. Auerbach is probably referring to Rothacker's Ein toHu ("Introduction leitung in die Geisteswissenschaften manist Studies"). This book, which was reissued in 1930, the methodological represents for Auerbach approach ofthe German Romantic-historical school of Hegel and his age, an approach that formed the basis of Auerbach's "historical method relativism," which he used in his own research and historical the so categories for explaining economic, aesthetic, and literary changes process. in the Karl Vossler Nachlass, Miinchen, Ana 350. Bay 12. A. Auer
was at the time the director ofthe Roma which
of Philipps University, Marburg, was heir to a rich tradition of German Romance ogy. Marburg became
nisches
philologie in his short on history of Romance philology atMarburg the occasion ofthe university's four-hundredth birthday, a cultural and humanistic emphasized approach more than the traditional approach, which broadly conceived was purely linguistic and technical. Previous directors of the Romanisches Seminar under this new approach were Wechfiler (1901-20), who, ironically, as chair at the University of Berlin later blocked Auerbach's ap and there; Ernst Robert Curtius (1920-24); pointment succeeded, Spitzer himself (1924-30), whom Auerbach Eduard
philol an important center ofthe Neu ("new philology"), which, as outlined by Spitzer
cial, political, in the historical
9. The letter is held rische Staatsbibliothek bach, Erich. 10. Auerbach
broad huma fittingly, since Spitzer admired Auerbach's nistische Bildung compared with the technical interests ofthe other candidates for the position at Marburg. 3. The letter iswritten at the peak ofthe parliamen tary crisis that led toHindenburg's appointment of Hitler as chancellor the next day, 30 lanuary 1933. (1888-1965), was a professor of philos and ophy, sociology, psychology at the University of Bonn. 5. The reference is to Krauss's habilitation lecture, 4. Erich Rothacker "Deutschland als Thema der franzosischen Literatur." Vierteljahrsschrift fur Literaturwis was founded and edited und senschaft Geistesgeschichte and Paul Kluckhohn (1886-1957). by Erich Rothacker in it in 1933 lecture was ultimately published Krauss's ("Deutschland"). rier ("Paul-Louis early publications Dante Courier"), (Dante), and Vico and Herder") were published in this journal. Af Auerbach's on Cou 6. The Deutsche
addresses Vossler by the title that was 1918 for highly placed officials in the civil ser vice. Vossler's position as professor at the University of Munich gave him a right to the title. used until 11.Auerbach 12. Hans and his wife, Marie, had visited Vossler and his wife, Emma, possibly with colleagues. was a Romance Rheinfelder (1898-1971), in 1953, ofthe Deutscher
and the founder, philologist Romanisten-Verband.
13. Leo Spitzer (1887-1960) was a Romance philolo gist born in Vienna, where he received his doctorate in 1910. He came to the under Wilhelm Meyer-Liibke in 1925, left for Cologne in 1930, University of Marburg and then leftGermany for Istanbul in 1933. In 1936 he at Johns Hopkins received an appointment University, where he remained until his death. Best known for his work on stylistics, he was instrumental in helping Auer bach replace him in both Marburg and Istanbul. Seminar 14. Spitzer, the former director ofthe Romanisches in Marburg, was relieved of his duties as the chair
("Vico ter the war, his essay that was to appear as a chapter on in the second edition ofMimesis Cervantes (1953) first in this verzauberte ("Die Dulcinea"). appeared journal
of Romance philology at the University of Cologne on 29 April 1933. He was later dismissed on 11 September 1933 and stripped of his Austrian citizenship in July 1939.
122.3
Erich Auerbach
759
ciation
15. Spitzer's dismissal was instigated by his denun in student movement by the leader of the Nazi
27. The 28. The Akademie 29. This become
letter is handwritten; letter is held der Kiinste
these sentences
are in
serted in themargin. in theWalter Berlin, Archiv Benjamin Archiv, 13/1. A published
philology department at the University of assistant, Traugott Fuchs, later started Spitzer's Cologne. a petition against his mentor's dismissal. He too was de nounced by the same student; Fuchs, along with Spitzer's the Romance other assistant, Rosemarie Burkart, was ultimately ex as a Jewish sympathizer. See pelled from the university Hausmann Fuchs followed Spitzer to Is 228, 303-06. tanbul, where he settled and became Auerbachs. See Vialon, letter is held "Scars" 16.Here Auerbach's 17.The close friends ofthe and "Traugott Fuchs." handwritten insertion is unclear. in theWarburg Institute, Lon in Treml, "Aus einem appears Auerbach nee Mankie
ft I 3 O * 3 a o c 3 ft 3 t+
version appears
in Barck 689-90.
which would reference is to "Gesellschaft," a section of Berlin Childhood around 1900 (Berli um neunzehnhundert) and which Zurcher Zeitung was appeared on Sat
ner Kindheit
in the Saturday edition oiNeue 1935. urday, 21 September 30. Ludwig Binswanger chiatrist and writer. 31. Beverdell
(1881-1966) identified.
a Swiss psy
has not been
don. A published version zerstreuten Archiv" 23. 18. Auerbach's witz
wife was Marie
(1923-2002), (1892-1979); his son, Clemens Auerbach was a Philippinum pupil at the humanistic Gymnasium inMarburg. Later he finished his secondary education at Robert College in Istanbul and received his PhD in chem istry from Harvard University in 1951. He taught and did research at Brookhaven National Laboratory (Long Is land, New York). Assistance Council (AAC), founded 1933 by the director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, William Beveridge was involved in (1879-1973), rescuing the Kulturwis in May Bibliothek Warburg and supported scholars who were displaced from their university tions after the rise of fascism inGermany. 20. The letter is held in the Karl Vossler Nachlass, rische Staatsbibliothek bach, Erich. 21. The Laws, which letter iswritten racialized on the day the Nuremburg Judaism and dismissed Jews from Miinchen, Ana 350. senschaftliche those posi 19.The Academic
a Utopian Marxist phi (1885-1977), was a mutual and Benjamin. friend of Auerbach losopher, He presented Auerbach with a personally dedicated copy 32. Ernst Bloch
of his book Spirit of Utopia {Geist der Utopie) on the oc toMarie Mankiewitz in casion of Auerbach's marriage 1923. The book to which Auerbach Times (Erbschaft dieser Zeit), which refers isHeritage of a part plays Benjamin Archiv, 13/2. A published
Our
throughout the correspondence. 33. The letter is held in theWalter Akademie der Kiinste Berlin, Archiv version appears in Barck 690.
34. Benjamin tried without success to secure a pub lisher for Berlin Childhood around 1900. Benjamin and Auerbach were born Grunewald ber
in the same year and grew up in the and Charlottenburg sections of Berlin. 35. A short piece on the front page of the 21 Septem issue of the Neue in which Marie Zurcher Zeitung found the Benjamin childhood reminiscence the following notice: "Anti-Semitism also is
Bay 12. A. Auer
Auerbach contains
all state employment, were passed. Although the law gave government offices until the end ofthe year to "regular ize" employment, the universities were in great haste to stabilize term inOctober. Auerbach their faculties before the beginning ofthe winter
trouble for several Marburg causing professors whose names were inscribed on the pillory of the university for defending Jewish businesses" city as punishment Professoren Vertreten macht auch einigen Marburger ("Der Antisemitismus zu schaffen, deren Namen zur Strafe fiir das
and Spitzer, with whom had a personal meeting in Bologna when Spitzer came there from Istanbul during the semester break. 23. This
22. The card was from Auerbach
an den der judischer Geschafte Schandpfahl Universitatsstadt geheftet wurden"). 36. A list of prominent French writers and intellectu als of the left:Ramon henno (1890-1978); (1900-83). in 1911, she was the daughter of Ludwig Fernandez Jean Gue (1894-1940); Andre Malraux (1901-76); Andre
Chamson
is a reference to Spitzer's proposal that Auer bach replace him in Istanbul. a 24. Americo Castro (1885-1972), Spanish historian and philologist, was ambassador to Berlin (1931-32). He emigrated in 1968. to the United States and reemigrated doctoral to Spain thesis (Be itwas not
37. Born
Binswanger. 38. This sentence thing Benjamin this one. 39. The
is vague and perhaps refers to some had asked in the lost letter that precedes in theWarburg Institute, Lon in Treml, "Aus einem appears
letter is held
25. The reference griff), which Auerbach in Miinchener published
is to Hellweg's
but appeared instead manischen Philologie, which was edited by Krauss. 26. This is a reference to his work in progress "Figura."
supervised. However, Arbeiten (edited by Rheinfelder) in the Marburg Beitrage zur Ro
don. A published version zerstreuten Archiv" 24.
on
40. Saxl had responded that there was no possibility of employment at theWarburg Library because conditions there were difficult but that he would keep his eyes open. He also suggested that Auerbach contact the Academic Assistance Council in London. A published version of the
760
> (/ * "* c ? 3 W 0 s 0 c
Timesof Extremes: Letters of Erich Auerbach (1933-46) PMLA Scholarshipin

letter appears in Treml 24. See the accompanying in theWalter article settled in Istanbul and became bachs. Benjamin Archiv, 13/3. A published refers isDie Zeit See Vialon, "Scars" 57.Words close friends of the Auer
by Treml, "Erich." 41. The letter is held Akademie version der Kunste
and "Traugott Fuchs."
Berlin, Archiv
appears
in Barck 691. to which Auerbach
42. The journal
crossed out replicate Auerbach's marks. 58. The phrase "and what in the light of every life in which I happened to findmyself" is an insertion. 59. The letter is held weg. A published weg 57-58. 60. Auerbach, 61. Auerbach, in the Privatarchiv Martin inVialon, Martin Hell Hell version appears Dante.
See Benjamin's schrift fiir Sozialforschung. response in Auerbach's next letter. Besides essay Benjamin's the issue, edited by Max Horkheimer, and Har long articles by Henryk Grossmann old D. Lasswell and reviews by Herbert Marcuse, Hans Muller, Gerhard Meyer, Paul Lazarsfeld, Erich Fromm, ("Probleme"), contains Thea Goldschmidt, Anna Hartock, Robert Briffault, H. Mankiewitz sister-in-law, Hed (perhaps Auerbach's wig), and Charles Trinkaus, among others. 43. The lished 446-47. 44. German location version ofthe original is unknown. A pub in Benjamin, 5: Gesammelte appears
(1888-1956) was a Romance philologist at Bonn University and is best known in En Literature and the Latin Middle glish for his European Literatur und lateinisches Mittelal Ages (Europdische ter),which incorporates here refers. See Curtius, "Mittelalters Schalk (1902-80) was the articles to which Auerbach "Mittelalters I," Fritz "Alexiusliedes,"
"Figura." 62. Ernst Robert Curtius
II," "Mittelalters
III," and "Musen."
The book is People (Deutsche Menschen). a collection of antinationalist letters written by philoso phers and writers who exemplify the democratic spirit between and liberal positions ofthe bourgeoisie 1783 and 1883. 45. A reference to Krauss, Corneille. during the period
University
of Cologne
a Romance at the philologist and the editor of Romanische For
zu schungen, inwhich Auerbach published "Epilegomena his response to the early reception ofMimesis. Mimesis" 63. Auerbach, und Realismus"; 64. Bracketed letter. Publikum; Dasfranzosische and "Die erste Nachahmung." phrase is added "Romantik of the
46. See Benjamin, "Probleme." 47. The letter is held in theWalter Akademie der Kunste appears Croce Berlin, Archiv in Barck 691-93. (1866-1952), lished version
in the margin
Benjamin Archiv, 13/4-13/5. A pub an Italian idealist
65. Auerbach zosische Publikum 66. Between
48. Benedetto
1951 in a revised version as "La cour et la ville." 1935 and in the same house
here refers to his 1933 essay, Das fran des 17. Jahrhunderts, later published in 1937 Krauss and Hellweg lived inMarburg under the address Roten used his 1932 habilitation thesis, "Die
philosopher. His acquaintance with Auerbach a letter in 1922 over a shared interest inVico. erbach translated Croce's 1911 book Science on Vico; had translated Vico's New 49. Blut und Boden gan of Nazi in 1924.
began with In 1927 Au Auerbach
("blood and soil") was a major slo racialist propaganda. a writer and 50. Friedrich Burschell (1889-1970),
for further publications such as "Die Kritik des am Ritter- und Schaferro Siglo de Oro man," "Uber die Stellung der Bukolik in der asthetischen Theorie des Humanismus," and Miguel Cervantes. Leben und Werk. 67. The Hellweg. is held in the Privatarchiv Martin original A published version appears in Vialon, Martin 69-70.
berg 28a. Krauss asthetischen Grundlagen,"
in 1933. He traveled critic, emigrated through France and Spain and was in Czechoslovakia until 1938, when he went to England. 51. Raoul Hausmann founders of Dadaism was one ofthe (1886-1971) and married Marie Auerbach's sis (1893-1974). in theWalter Benjamin Archiv, 13/6. A published
Hellweg 68. Krauss
ter,Hedweg Mankiewitz 52. The letter is held Akademie der Kunste version appears
suffered greatly, both physically and men as a result of brutal prison conditions. Auerbach's tally, sent him medical treatment in several son, Clemens, Packages" while Krauss was in Marburg and
"CARE Leipzig.
Berlin, Archiv
in Barck 694.
53. Deutsche Menschen. 54. This is likely to be "Giambattista Vico und die Idee der Philologie." 55. The letter is held in the Traugott Fuchs Nachlass, Istanbul. A published version ap Bosporus University, pears in part in Vialon, "Scars" 223-25. See also Vialon, "Traugott Fuchs" 68-69. 56. Traugott Fuchs (1906-97) was Spitzer's doctoral assistant who followed him to Istanbul when he was forced to leave the University of Cologne in 1933. Fuchs
69. Eugen Honsberg, born 1906, was a German phi war in the Soviet lologist and probably died during the on baroque Union. He did his PhD dissertation style in on Paul Fleming's German seminars and lyrics taught literature at the University ofMar French and medieval burg as Auerbach's ert was a Romance the war on Marcel He assistant ("Studien"). Hermann Black philologist and probably died during in the Soviet Union and did his PhD dissertation
Proust under Auerbach's supervision (Aufbau). taught seminars on French literature as Auerbach's assistant. Janik remains unidentified. Helmut Viebrock
122.3
on William (1912-97) completed his PhD at Marburg in 1937 ("Erlebnis"). After World War II, he Wordsworth was professor of English language and literature at the University Shakespeare, Dickens, of Frankfurt and published Percy Bysshe Shelley, James Joyce, and T. S. Eliot. insertion 70. This is a handwritten John Keats, essays on William Charles -.
Erich Auerbach
761
22 (1938): 436-89. Romanicum "Figura." Archivum Trans, as "Figura." Scenes from the Drama of Euro 1959. 11-76. pean Literature. New York: Meridian, Publikum Das franzosische 1933. Munchen: Hueber, "Giambattista Vico 1936. Gesammelte des 17. Jahrhunderts.
-. -.
on the bottom -.
margin. and Dolf 71. After thewar, Krauss was the editor,with Karl Jaspers Sternberger, of Die Wandlung, which published
und die Idee der Philologie." zur romanischen Philolo Aufsdtze gie. Bern: Francke, 1967. 233-41. Mimesis: The Representation of Reality inWestern Literature. Trans. Willard sary Ed. Princeton: R. Trask. Fiftieth Anniver Princeton UP, 2003.
some of his own essays. He helped with the postwar reedu cation process at the University ofMarburg and published several essays on the necessity of a political education. 72. See Hellweg, historian famous Stellung. for his (1900-57) was a sociologist and 1934 book on the transition 73. Franz Borkenau from feudalism Kommunistische
f? ft i 7T 3 0 $ 3 a o n e 3 ft 3
-,
uber die gemeinschaftli trans. Neue Wissenschaft Vico. der Volker (1744). By Giambattista 1924. Munich: Allgemeine, che Natur "Passio Criticism als Leidenschaft." 43 (2001): 288-302. Courier." Deutsche Vierteljahrsschrift 4 und Geistesgeschichte PMLA 96. Trans, as "Passio as Passion." 56 (1941): 1179 Trans. Martin Elsky.
-.
to capitalism. He was a member ofthe and was expelled from Internationale Partei Deutschlands in 1929. He
-.
"Paul-Louis
the Kommunistische
from 1947 to was professor at the University ofMarburg 1949 and later served as chief research consultant for the British Secret Service in Frankfurt. a Romance PhD at the 74. Erhard Lommatzsch philologist University (1886-1975) was and the supervisor of Auerbach's of Greifswald.
fur Literaturwissenschaft (1926): 514-47. -. -. -. "Romantik Wissenschaft "Sacrae
und Realismus." Neue Jahrbucher fur und Jugendbildung 9 (1933): 143-53. scripturae sermo humilis." Neuphilologi 42 (1941): 57-67. Dulcinea." Deutsche Vierteljahrs und Geistesgeschichte
sche Mitteilungen
"Die verzauberte
(1897-1973), a philosopher and friend of was Auerbach, suspended from theUniversity ofMarburg in October 1935. He spent his exile in Sendai, Japan, from 1936 75. Karl Lowith to 1941 and emigrated to theUnited States; from 1952 he was professor of philosophy at theUniversity of Heidelberg.
schrift fiir Literaturwissenschaft 25 (1951): 294-316. -. "Vico und Herder." fur Literaturwissenschaft (1932): 671-86. Barck, Karlheinz. in Paris." Deutsche
Vierteljahrsschrift 10 und Geistesgeschichte an Walter 6
"5 Briefe Erich Auerbachs Zeitschrift
Works Cited
Auerbach, Erich. "La cour et la ville." Vier Untersuchun gen zur Geschichte der franzosischen Bildung. Bern: Francke Verlag, 1951. 12-50. Trans, as "La cour et la ville." Scenes from theDrama of European 1959. 133-79. New York: Meridian, -. Dante als Dichter ter, 1929. Trans, -. Literature.
Benjamin (1988): 688-94. Barck, Karlheinz,
fur Germanistik eds. Erich Auer
and Martin
Treml,
bach. Geschichte
und Aktualitat
eines europaischen um neunzehn
2007. Philologen. Berlin: Kadmos, Berliner Kindheit Walter. Benjamin, hundert: Frankfurt Giessener am Main: Fassung.
Ed. Rolf Tiedemann.
der irdischen Welt. Berlin: Gruy as Dante, Poet ofthe Secular World. Dantes Chicago: in der Romantik." U of Chicago P, 1961. Deutsche und Geistes
lin Childhood -.
around
as Ber Suhrkamp, 2000. Trans, 1900. Trans. Howard Eiland.
Trans. R. Manheim. "Entdeckung
Belknap, 2006. Cambridge: Eine Folge von Briefe, Aus Deutsche Menschen: von Detlef Holz. Lucerne: Vita wahl und Einleitung Nova, 1936. Lonitz. Godde and Briefe. Ed. Christoph 6 vols. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, Neue Zurcher Zeitung 21 Sept. Gesammelte Henri 1995-2000.
Viertel)ahrsschriftfur Literaturwissenschaft geschichte 7 (1929): 682-92. -. zu Mimesis."
-. For
"Epilegomena as "Epilogomena to schungen 65 (1954): 1-18. Trans, Trans. JanM. Ziolkowski. Mimesis." Auerbach, Mi mesis 559-74. des Alltaglichen." Romano "Die erste Nachahmung Travaux du seminaire dephilolo Semineri I Dergisi lop and Sahabattin Eyuboglu. gie romane. Ed. Auerbach Vol. 1. Istanbul Universitesi lari, Publications site d'lstanbul Edebiyat Fakultesi Yaylin de la Faculte des Lettres de l'Univer 1937. 262-93.
Romanische
-. -.
"Gesellschaft." 1935, Saturday
ed., sec. 2: 1.
-.
Ein Sammelrefe "Probleme der Sprachsoziologie. rat." Zeitschrift fur Sozialforschung 4.2 (1935): 248-68. bei Blackert, Hermann. Der Aufbau der Kunstwirklichkeit Marcel Proust. Aufgezeigt an der Einfuhrung der Perso nen inA la recherche du temps perdu. Diss. U ofMar burg, 1935. Neuere deutsche Forschungen, Abteilung
2. Istanbul: Basimevi,
762
Scholarship
(1933-46)
PMLA
c ? 3 W 0 C * 0 c .? i 4
-.
romanische burg. Berlin: Bloch, Ernst. 1935. Trans, Plaice P, 1991.
Philologie. Vol. 2. Ed. Walther von Wart 1935. Junker und Diinnhaupt,
-. -.
"Deutschland
als Thema
der franzosischen
Litera
Erbschaft dieser Zeit. Zurich: Oprecht, as Heritage of Our Times. Trans. Neville and Stephen Plaice. Berkeley: U of California
tur."Marburg U. 29 Feb. 1932. "Die Kritik des Siglo de Oro ferroman." Gesammelte Sprachwissenschaft. 1949. 152-76. mann,
am Ritter- und Scha
Literatur- und Aufsatzezur Frankfurt am Main: Kloster Luch
1918. Trans, as Utopie. Munich: Duncker, Spirit of Utopia. Trans. Anthony A. Nassar. Stanford: Stanford UP, 2000. Borkenau, Franz. Der Ubergang vomfeudalen zum burger lichen Weltbild. Studien zur Geschichte der Manufak 1934. und der christliche Gentle Mimesis 2006.
Geistder
-.
Miguel terhand, Werner Krauss,
Cervantes.
Leben und Werk. Neuwied:
1966. Rpt. in Cervantes und seine Zeit. Ed. Bahner. Vol. 2 of Das wissenschaftliche Werk. gen. ed. Berlin: Akademie, 1990. 5-177.
-.
turperiode. Paris: Alcan, Bormuth, Matthias. bronn: Keicher, Curtius, sches Mittelalter. man. Erich Auerbach
"Uber die Stellung der Bukolik in der asthetischen Theorie des Humanismus." Archivfiir das Studium der neueren Sprachen und Literaturen 3-4 (1938): 180-98. Rothacker, 1919. Tubingen: Seyhan, Azade. Translation Language, Bermann Erich. Einleitung in die Geisteswissenschaften. Mohr, 1930. "German Academic Exiles in Istanbul: as the Bildung of the Other." Nation, and the Ethics of Translation. Ed. Sandra and Michael Wood. Princeton: Princeton
schreibt an Karl Lowith. Warm
Ernst Robert. Europdische Literatur und lateini Bern: Francke, 1948. Trans, as Eu
ropean Literature and the Latin Middle Ages. Trans. Willard R. Trask. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1953. -. -. -. -. "Die Musen sche Philologie imMittelalter." 59 (1939): Zeitschriftfur 129-88. romani
UP, 2005. 274-88. des Romanischen Lehr Spitzer, Leo. "Zur Geschichte stuhls." Die Philipps-Universitat zu Marburg 1527 1927. Ed. Hermelink and S. A. Kaehler. Marburg: 1927. 726-34. Elwert'sche, Treml, Martin. Auerbach "Aus einem zerstreuten Archiv. Erich an Fritz Saxl. Siena und im Jahre Marburg 1935." Trajekte: Zeitschrift des Zentrums fiir Literatur 5.10 (2005): 23-24. und die Kulturwissenschaftliche "Erich Auerbach
"Zur Interpretation des Alexiusliedes." Zeitschrift fur romanische Philologie 56 (1936): 113-37. "Zur Literaturasthetik des Mittelalters I." Zeit 1-50. II." Zeit 129-232. III." Zeit -. schriftfur romanische Philologie 58 (1938): "Zur Literaturasthetik des Mittelalters schriftfur romanische Philologie 58 (1938): "Zur Literaturasthetik des Mittelalters
-.
forschung
schriftfiir romanische Philologie Hausmann,
58 (1938): 433-79.
"Vom Strudel der Ereignisse Frank-Rutger. Deutsche Romanistik im "Dritten verschlungen": Reich." Frankfurt: Klostermann, 2000. Martin. Der Jacques Rousseau. schen Demokratie. zur Romanischen Ebel, bei Jean Begriff des Gewissens Beitrag zu einer Kritik der politi Diss. U ofMarburg, 1936. Beitrdge 20. Ed. Werner Krauss. Frankfurt Stil in -,
Bibliothek Warburg: Geschichten einer verhinderten Zusammenarbeit." Trajekte: Zeitschrift des Zentrums fiir Literaturforschung 5.10 (2005): 25-28. Vialon, Martin, ed. Erich Auerbachs Briefe an Martin Hell weg (1939-1950). Edition und historisch-philologischer Kommentar. Tubingen: Francke, 1997. Deutsche -. Briefe von 1922 bis 1957. /Zentrum fiir Li Forschungsgemeinschaft teraturforschung Berlin, forthcoming. ed. Erich Auerbachs
Hellweg,
Marburg: -. Die
Philologie 1936.
bei Marx. Stellung des Proletariats am Main: 1947. Schulte-Blumke, Honsberg, Eugen. Paul Flemings burg, 1937. Krauss, Werner. "Studien deutscher Lyrik." Diss.
iiber den barocken
U ofWiirz
"The Scars of Exile: Paralipomena concerning the between History, Literature and Poli Relationship in the Examples tics?Demonstrated of Erich Auer bach, Traugott Yeditepe'de Fuchs and Their Circle in Istanbul." Felsefe 2 (2003): 191-246. "Traugott Fuchs zwischen Exil und Wahlheimat Meditationen Istanbul. zu klassischen Bild- und aus Geistige Wanderungen Ed. Georg Stauth and Faruk
schen Schaferromans." -. Corneille
"Die asthetischen Grundlagen des spani Diss. U ofMarburg, 1932.
-.
als politischer Dichter. Marburger Bei trage zur Romanischen Philologie. Herausgegeben von Werner Krauss 18.Marburg: Ebel, 1936. "Deutschland tur." Deutsche als Thema der franzosischen Litera Vierteljahrsschriftfur Literaturwissen 11 (1933): 445-63. schaft und Geistesgeschichte
am Bosporus. Textmotiven." einer Welt
in Scherben.
-.
Birtek. Bielefeld: Transcript, 2007. 53-129. Viebrock, Helmut. "Erlebnis und Gestaltung des Schonen in der Dichtung von Worthworth (1798-1808)." Diss. U ofMarburg, 1937.

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Scholarship in Times of Extremes: Letters of Erich Auerbach (1933-46), on the Fiftieth Anniversary of His Death Author(s): Erich Auerbach,

of Extremes: Letters of ErichAuerbach (1933-46), on the

derstanding of history?is present.

into the new state, Auerbach's

con der Philipps-Universitat Marburg sent by von Hiilsen toAuerbach explain

2. The contract letter to von Hiilsen Philipps-Universitat

Marburg 3. Several hundred of Auerbach's

literature and philosophy

political theory, and modern German tions have addressed hermeneutics;

ernmental Authority, 1025-1180

He has also written extensively on contemporary historiographical theory.

12 2.3 Erich Auerbach

Scholarship inTimes of Extremes: Lettersof ErichAuerbach Anniversaryof His Death

on the Fiftieth (1933-46),

Letters of Erich Auerbach

abroad can be made

Pian dei Mantellinini

Cable Ravizza Siena

next summer, and in connection

with this fact he has made

certain proposals that concern me personally?as he earlier did

5" ? 23. 9. [19]35 3 & 0 ft ? 3 3

Via di Porta Pinciana

Lieber Herr Benjamin, My wife just discovered

for thisworld, as I know from his and others'

are and how you are. I had thought of you at

Via di Quarto 9 6. Oct. [19]35

Sehr verehrter Dr. Saxl, Many thanks for your cordial

when Warm Your

into the house

greetings frommy wife and Erich A[uerbach]

is fundamentally a luxury, and

his assistant, who

mance Letter 1047

is entirely primitive, but per sonally, politically, and administratively it is

one also sees decayed, or decaying,

instances frommany areas. The whole to be grasped together this way: I am

hated and envied Europe with ons. Hence the predisposition

you are in themost friendly remembrance of us both

work, whose offprint I have just received.54 Warmest greetings, your

tome. Not before that. From my bi ography, my profession, and my writing, it

further from me?you have misunderstood?than am unrecognized,

one who cares for the dignity and freedom of

First pageof the

752 and 755. ;1| pp.

,' & ....;-a

V?? ***: **i??

Letters of Erich Auerbach

unfahig die Krafte die ich habe zu gebrauchen. Ichwar

habe iches auch tunund sagen konnen.Vielmehr konnte

fallig befinde sondern

und Freiheit des Menschen

Problem, einer bestimmten Schwierigkeitoder Aufgabe

so heftigund so ausschliesslich mit einem bestimmten

in Sorge sind. Es gibt zwar

sogar mit volliger

nicht Muhe Kraftfindet?So geht esmir. Diese Aufgabe ist

um mich gelernt, noch

zu lassen. nicht, dass meine einzusetzen falsch spontane

Aktionskraftbeschadigt ist- sie funktioniertimNotfall

das Gemeinsame Konkretion

Aber wir sind nicht schlussChancen gibt,gewiss richtig.

mokratien, brauchbar noch nicht

V?? *: i??