Neumann, Alfred, 1895-1952

Alfred Neumann left Germany in 1933, moving to Italy and then to France; he emigrated to the U.S. in 1941, settling in California. In 1949 he returned to Florence; he died in Lugano. Katherine Neumann (who signs her letters "Kitty") was Alfred's wife. The Neumanns were good friends of Alma Mahler; she mentions them in her memoir Mein Leben as belonging to the close circle of friends in California with whom she and Franz Werfel socialized. Adolf Klarmann and his wife, Isolde, apparently developed a good friendship with the Neumanns as well.

From the description of Correspondence to Alma Mahler, Franz Werfel and Adolf Klarmann, ca. 1943-1973. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 155864040

From the description of Correspondence to Alma Mahler, Franz Werfel and Adolf Klarmann, ca. 1943-1973. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 457136456

Neumann was born in Lautenburg, West Prussia (today Lidzbark, Poland) in 1895. He attained renown as a writer and novelist in Germany, and won the Kleist Prize (Kleist-Preis) in 1926. He left Germany for Italy in 1933, and eventually settled in Los Angeles in 1941, where he worked as a screenwriter in the film industry. A couple of his novels and screenplays were adapted into films. In 1949 he and his wife returned to Europe. Neumann died in Lugano, Switzerland in 1952.

From the guide to the Alfred Neumann Collection, 1927-1976, bulk 1927-1962, (Leo Baeck Institute Archives)