The Lesser Evil by Victor Klemperer

Author:Victor Klemperer
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780226774
Publisher: Orion

1950

7th January, Saturday evening

I do not quite remember the content of this first January week. [Klemperer notes nevertheless continuing dictation of the Maupassant study, a political committee meeting and writing a newspaper article.]

[. . .]

Deutschlands Stimme [Germany’s Voice] has written to me: eyewitness article for 13 Feb. 1950, Dresden’s destruction. I read over my diary, read it to E., rather. Until now in some difficulty. Because I do not want to write about the Jewish memory, I must remain general. But that means worn-out material.

11th January, Wednesday forenoon. Halle

On Sunday, the 8th, wrote the article ‘Shrove Tuesday, Dresden 1945’.1 Successfully.

[. . .]

12th January, Thursday forenoon

[. . .]

Yesterday evening at the Kulturbund. Bloch, Leipzig, on modern philosophy. Against Heidegger, Jaspers – ‘The Category of Hope’. I understood only with difficulty, but [. . .] the man impressed me immensely. Furthermore, profound humanist knowledge. Large grey head, probably early 60s. Personally acquainted with Georg and Otto musico (at present in Sydney). The session in front of a 150 man hall lasted until 11.30. I learnt a great deal, more precisely picked it up.

[. . .]

17th January, Tuesday. Halle

[. . . Kulturbund meetings, appointments with I. M. Lange, with Walther Victor.] The new Executive Committee hardly any different from the old one – still poorly attended . . . Nothing of interest occurred . . . [. . .] I agreed a Maupassant study in Sinn und Form with Becher. – At the Frankes in the late afternoon. Hostile foreign land. Worse than the three old women their unlovely niece, Walter’s daughter, 25 years old. Derisive rejection of the Russians. I made my opinion very clear. The girl employed by the Americans for five years. Sad, this absolute separation in one and the same city. [. . .]

Yet another Berlin pleasure: suddenly I’m told: we were too nervous about Barbusse, you can write the monograph. – And who will give me the time for it? – I must get out of this empty rushing around.

[. . .]

31st January, Tuesday forenoon

Continuing frost, 12 below zero, failing heating. Myself with a heavy cold. Increasing worry about E., she evidently has a serious heart problem.

[. . .]

3rd February, Friday evening

Frost, ice, snow, failing heating; E. in the little room, I at my desk in my coat. E.’s condition unchanged. She has become very fat, walks with a stoop, does not get out of the house, is often in pain. – We have finally given notice on this apartment, negotiations with removers have commenced. In the summer semester I shall have a room in the Stadt Hamburg hotel. [. . .]

We eat too well, we don’t know what to do with our money, and Frau Stahl is a voracious soul of a slave, happy if she can go shopping and cook for and dine with her rich master and mistress. [. . .] But in a few weeks things will come to an end here, and it will be impossible to keep house in the same way in Dölzschen.

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