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Christian Morgenstern Correspondence Collection

 Collection
Identifier: AR 3466

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains numerous letters, postcards and other correspondence from Christian Morgenstern to Ephraim and Fega Frisch. Morgenstern knew the Frischs before they got married, and exchanged frequent letters with them over the years. The letters discuss personal topics, health conditions and work matters amongst other things. Morgenstern also included poems, which were partially published in his literary estate.

Dates

  • 1897-1914
  • Majority of material found in 1903, 1906-1907

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is in German.

Access Restrictions

Open to researchers.

Access Information

Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.

Use Restrictions

There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:

Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011

email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org

Biographical Note

Christian Otto Josef Wolfgang Morgenstern was born in Munich on May 6, 1871, as the son of the painter Carl Ernst Morgenstern and his wife Charlotte, née Schertel. He went to schools in Hamburg and in Breslau (today Wrocław, Poland), where he started to write his first verses and texts. In 1892 he enrolled at the University of Breslau, and he spent the summer semester 1893 in Munich, where he caught tuberculosis. In the fall he returned to Breslau, but his bad health forced him to end his university studies.

Up until this time he had been engaged in literature studies of his own, and when he moved to Berlin in 1894, he started working as a freelance writer, editor and journalist for newspapers, publishing his first volume of poems in 1895. In 1903, he returned to Berlin, where he worked among others at the Bruno Cassirer Verlag and published more of his poetry. He married Margareta Gosebruch and went through many treatments at various health resorts, attended numerous lectures of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy, and studied Buddhism. In 1914 his condition took a turn for the worst, and on March 31st Morgenstern died in Merano in South Tyrol (today Italy).

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection mainly consists of letters and postcards from Christian Morgenstern to Ephraim and Fega Frisch, née Lifschitz. Some clippings and poems are also included.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in one series.

Related Material

There are two further LBI archival collections and five books in the LBI Library that are related to this collection.

  1. Efraim Frisch Collection 1881-1984 (AR 1034, MF 510)
  2. Georg Müller Verlag Autographs Addendum 1907-1920 (AR 3816, MF 1440)
  3. Klemperer, Victor: Vor 33 [i. e. dreiunddreissig]-nach 45 Gesammelte Aufsaetze (PN 514 K53 V6)
  4. Das Theater Redigiert von Christian Morgenstern. Verlag Bruno Cassirer, 1903-1905. Kommentierte Faksimileausgabe (PN 1604 T5 1981)
  5. Morgenstern, Christian: Melancholie: neue Gedichte / Christian Morgenstern. (PT 2625 O_55 M4)
  6. Morgenstern, Christian: Palma Kunkel ; [Umschlagzeichnung von Karl Walser] / von Christian Morgenstern. (st 18)
  7. Morgenstern, Christian: The daynight lamp and other poems Translated, with an introduction, by Max Knight. With 20 lithographs by H. A. Rey (PT 2625 O_55 T312)
Title
Guide to the Correspondence of Christian Morgenstern 1897-1914 AR 3466
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Alexandra Weinschenker
Date
© 2014
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.
Edition statement
This version was derived from ChristianMorgenstern_Correspondence.xml

Revision Statements

  • June 2016:: dao links added by Emily Andresini.

Repository Details

Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository

Contact:
15 West 16th Street
New York NY 10011 United States