THOMAS MANN (1875-1955)

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THOMAS MANN (1875-1955)
A 5 1/2-page autograph letter in German, signed ("Thomas Mann"), from 65 Stockton Street, Princeton, N. J., 11 December 1939, to Mr. Oprecht, congratulating him and his own son Golo on the publication of the first issue in 1939 of the magazine Maß und Wert; "man kann sie und Golo nur zur N^o 1. des III. Jahrganges (wie stolz das klingt!) aufrichtig beglckwnschen. Sie hat, meine ich, den rechten Ton und die rechte Haltung als Ganzes und ist im Einzelnen Stck fr Stck interessant". He praises its style and attitude and describes the contribution by Braun as noticeably valuable ("Der Braun'sche Beitrag ist wenigstens sichtbar wertvoll und ... hat vortreffliche Formulierungen"). Mann thinks that Braun is right ("er hat dreimal Recht") to trace the political problem in Europe to the political immaturity of the German people. He describes the Germans as a magnificent but impossible people ("was man mit diesem in seiner Art grossartigen aber komplett unmöglichen Volk einmal anfangen soll") and quotes Harold Nicolson, "The German Character is one of the finest and most unconvenient developments of human nature".
Mann says that he enjoyed Golo's article which is of current interest but criticizes the extract of his own work Lotte in Weimar, published in the magazine. He thinks that Golo should have taken more care proof-reading it, but he continues that at the end of the day it does not matter because this way at least some people will be able to read it in German.
Mann also mentions that Mr Bermann is thinking of emigrating to America in which case the publisher's "Stockholmer Gesamtausgabe" might be renamed "Chicagoer War".
He comments that Stalin has already compromised himself morally, but also needs to commit himself from a military point of view ("Es fehlte nur, daß dieser sich auch militärisch kompromittierte, die moralische Kompromittierung ist ohne dies desaströs") and adds that everybody who once believed in the people's front must be embarrassed ("jeder der einmal an die Volksfront ... geglaubt hat, muss sein Haupt verhllen"). Mann believes that people his age will get over their disappointment but it will be difficult for the younger generation to cope ("Unsereiner kommt darber hinweg, aber wie mag es in jungen Seelen aussehen"). He argues that in a sense Stalin's crime is worse than Hitler's because nobody would ever have expected anything else but filth from Hitler. He argues that the speeches are worse than the actual deeds, only fascist deceits and the most common clichés ("... daß in gewisser Weise das Verbrechen des Stalin ärger ist, als das Hitlers von dem nie jemand etwas anderes als Schweinereien erwartet hat. Und die Reden, sie sind schlimmer als die Taten. Nur noch facistischer Lgensumpf und das ordinärste Clischee...").
Mann ends the letter by wishing Oprecht and his family a happy Christmas and a good new year. He hopes that Switzerland will remain a safe place. Mann says that he and his wife will miss Golo at Christmas but that future generations will admire Golo for making Maß und Wert last under such difficult circumstances.

Lot Essay

AN IMPORTANT AND APPARENTLY UNPUBLISHED LETTER to the publisher Oprecht in Switzerland. Maß und Wert, a magazine to promote independent German culture, was published from September 1937 to September/October 1940. It was published by Thomas Mann and Konrad Falke and edited by Golo Mann and Emil Oprecht from November/December 1939 .

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