Von Hofe, Harold, 1912-2011

The son of German musicians who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, Harold von Hofe was born in Plainsfield, NJ, on April 23, 1912. In 1939, after earning a bachelor's degree from New York University and a doctorate from Northwestern University, von Hofe relocated to Los Angeles and took a job teaching German at USC. He became a professor and served as chair of USC's German department from 1945-1956 (as well as from 1963-68 and 1971-74). Von Hofe's scholarly work focused largely on the work of writers who fled Germany for Southern California during the Holocaust. An eminent scholar in the field of German exile studies, Von Hofe's expertise was built on the relationships he developed with members of the German emigre community in Los Angeles during World War II. From 1959 to 1963, von Hofe served as chair of the USC Division of Humanities. Von Hofe played a large role in acquiring one of USC's most prized scholarly research collections--the library of German-Jewish author Lion Feuchtwanger. In the early 1940s, the then-associate professor visited Feuchtwanger's Pacific Palisades home, Villa Aurora, and became friends with the author (Jud Suss) and his wife, Marta. Following Feuchtwanger's death in 1958, Von Hofe convinced Marta that USC would be the ideal place to preserve her husband's collection of more than 30,000 volumes that include Hebrew, Greek and Latin classics; a pre-Luther translation of the Bible; German and German-exile literature; books and materials relating to the French Revolution; rare first editions and secondary works by authors such as Luther, Kant, Goethe, Schiller, Voltaire and Rousseau; and a collection of texts and translations--including a 1493 Florentine edition--of works by first-century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. Von Hofe became a close colleague of--and adviser to--Marta Feuchtwanger. Following her death in 1987, he served as executor of her estate and subsequently dedicated the latter part of his career to publishing Lion Feuchtwanger's extensive correspondence, thereby making these rich primary source materials available to scholars. Among von Hofe's books: A German Sketchbook (co-authored with Ludwig Marcuse, 1979), Faust: Leben, Legende und Literatur (1965) and Eine Reise durch Deutschland (1960), among dozens of others. He also edited, annotated and published numerous volumes of Feuchtwanger's correspondence. Harold von Hofe died Feb. 3, 2011 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 98. [Adapted from: Dan Knapp: In Memoriam--Harold von Hofe, in: USC Libraries, Libwire, retrieved 07/14/2011 from http://dotsx.usc.edu/newsblog/index.php/main/comments/in_memoriam_harold_von_hofe_98/]

From the description of Harold von Hofe papers, 1904-2000 (bulk 1940-1990). (San Leandro Community Library). WorldCat record id: 744021618

Von Hofe writes from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

From the description of Correspondence with Alma Mahler and Franz Werfel, 1944-1949. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 155864718

Biographical/Historical note

The son of German musicians who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, Harold von Hofe was born in Plainsfield, N.J., on April 23, 1912. In 1939, after earning a bachelor's degree from New York University and a doctorate from Northwestern University, von Hofe relocated to Los Angeles and took a job teaching German at USC. He became a professor and served as chair of USC's German department from 1945-1956 (as well as from 1963-68 and 1971-74). Von Hofe's scholarly work focused largely on the work of writers who fled Germany for Southern California during the Holocaust. An eminent scholar in the field of German exile studies, Von Hofe's expertise was built on the relationships he developed with members of the German émigré community in Los Angeles during World War II. From 1959 to 1963, von Hofe served as chair of the USC Division of Humanities.

Von Hofe played a large role in acquiring one of USC's most prized scholarly research collections--the library of German-Jewish author Lion Feuchtwanger. In the early 1940s, the then-associate professor visited Feuchtwanger's Pacific Palisades home, Villa Aurora, and became friends with the author (Jud Süss) and his wife, Marta. Following Feuchtwanger's death in 1958, Von Hofe convinced Marta that USC would be the ideal place to preserve her husband's collection of more than 30,000 volumes that include Hebrew, Greek and Latin classics; a pre-Luther translation of the Bible; German and German-exile literature; books and materials relating to the French Revolution; rare first editions and secondary works by authors such as Luther, Kant, Goethe, Schiller, Voltaire and Rousseau; and a collection of texts and translations--including a 1493 Florentine edition--of works by first-century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius.

Von Hofe became a close colleague of--and adviser to--Marta Feuchtwanger. Following her death in 1987, he served as executor of her estate and subsequently dedicated the latter part of his career to publishing Lion Feuchtwanger's extensive correspondence, thereby making these rich primary source materials available to scholars.

Among von Hofe's books: A German Sketchbook (co-authored with Ludwig Marcuse, 1979), Faust: Leben, Legende und Literatur (1965) and Eine Reise durch Deutschland (1960), among dozens of others. He also edited, annotated and published numerous volumes of Feuchtwanger's correspondence.

Harold von Hofe died Feb. 3, 2011 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 98.

Adapted from: Dan Knapp: In Memoriam--Harold von Hofe, in: USC Libraries, Libwire, retrieved 07/14/2011 from http://dotsx.usc.edu/newsblog/index.php/main/comments/in_memoriam_harold_von_hofe_98/

From the guide to the Harold von Hofe papers, Bulk, 1940-1990, 1904-2000, (USC Libraries Special Collections)