Correspondence, 1916-1958.

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Correspondence, 1916-1958.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122579909

Letters and postcards. In the larger frame, the correspondence gives a picture of a middle-class Jewish family, relatively well assimilated into life in Germany during the years just before, during, and after the First World War, then their experiences while living in exile in both the United States and Israel. Subjects frequently touched upon during the German period include schooling, travel, the course of the war, and political, social, and economic developments in the country. The effects of somewhat straightened circumstances due to the postwar economic collapse are in evidence in various details, such as in the frequent discussion of food. The way in which family members already in exile were able to help others to follow more-or-less the same course is shown. During their lives in exile, family members again make reference to the larger political and social events of the day, but also correspond frequently regarding other factors more directly affecting their lives, in particular, their careers. A special focus is provided on Kurt Weill. Much light is shed on his early educational, professional, social, and emotional development, especially in the above-mentioned letters to Hans during the period 1917 to 1920. The years immediately following are poorly represented and the period from 1925-1927 only somewhat better (by 28 letters), but, unfortunately, the years just preceding exile, as well as the first years in it, are hardly represented at all. However, the collection becomes stronger again in its representation of the period 1937-1945, in Kurt and Lenya's letters to Hans and Rita. Finally, it also contains five letters from Lenya to Rita from the decade following Kurt's death. (The gaps mentioned may be at least partially filled when those dates which can be are assigned to the ca. 62 undated items--nearly one-quarter of the collection.).

ca. 255 letters and postcards.

ger,

eng,

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6774502

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Related Entities

There are 12 Entities related to this resource.

Lenya, Lotte

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68g8mvt (person)

Born in Austria, Lenya became an actress in Zürich, then moved to Berlin where she met and married Kurt Weill. They emigrated to the U.S. in 1935, where Lenya lived until her death a few months after this interview was recorded. From the description of An oral history interview with Lotte Lenya / conducted for the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music by Alan Rich, New City, N.Y., 1981 : recording and transcript. (Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison). WorldCat record id: 12258368...

Weill, Nathan, 1898-1957

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p88jh5 (person)

Weill, Rita, 1902-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64q9rs4 (person)

Sohn, Leo, 1903-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zp8d46 (person)

Weill, Kurt

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rr1x51 (person)

As a result of the success of his Broadway musical Lady in the dark in 1941, German-born composer Kurt Weill and his wife, the singing actress Lotte Lenya, were able to buy "Brook House," in Rockland County, New York, moving there during their sixth year in the United States. From Brook House, and a couple of addresses in Los Angeles during his trips there, Weill kept in touch, until a month before his death, with his parents, who had emigrated to Israel in 1935. From the description...

Weill family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6p07hj2 (family)

The branch of the Weill family represented is that of Albert Weill (1867-1952), cantor at the synagogue in Dessau, his wife Emma (1871-1957), and their children Nathan (1898-1957; married Helene Frankenberg), Hans (1899-1947; married Rita Kisch), Kurt (1900-1950; married Lotte Lenya), and Ruth (1901-ca. 1975; married Leo Sohn). Kurt is the well-known composer, Lotte Lenya the singing actress. All of them lived in exile after the Nazi takeover in Germany: the parents and Nathan and Helene in Pale...

Weill, Albert 1867-1950

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pg5z3p (person)

Weill, Hans Jakob, 1899-1947

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64n3b4p (person)

Symonette, Lys

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67m096m (person)

Sohn, Ruth, 1901-ca. 1975

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hf225s (person)

Weill, Emma, 1871-1957

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62z5c84 (person)

Weill, Helene, 1898-1972

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68s8wts (person)