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Document Metadata

Description of original facsimile: One-page, two-sided typed letter on Carl Reissner stationary in purple (likely a carbon copy) with two holes punched in the lefthand margin and two pairs of two parallel holes in the middle of the letter; a handwritten comment in red crayon by Harthern on the bottom of the page and a red crayon line drawn down the lefthand side of the second page.

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  • Photographed by Pamela L. Caughie
  • Images prepared by Matthew Gallagher
  • Transcription completed by Tatjana Willms-Jones
  • Translation completed by Tatjana Willms-Jones
  • Encoding completed by Bennett Miller
  • Encoding assistance and/or XML proofing completed by Rebecca J. Parker, Caroline McCraw, Darcy Brady, Orion Elrod
  • XML transformed into HTML on 08/02/2020 by Greer Martin
  • HTML proofing completed by Caroline McCraw, Darcy Brady, Pamela L. Caughie

Transcription

Page 1

DresdenDresden (historical), city in Germany-N.6, den 28. Dezember 1931 Königstraße 13/ Fernsprecher 54 008

Herrn Niels HoyerNiels Hoyer (historical), pseudonym of Ernst Harthern, who composed and edited Man into Woman, KopenhagenCopenhagen (historical), capital of Denmark Havnegade 47.

(01) Sehr gerehrter Herr Hoyer!Niels Hoyer (historical), pseudonym of Ernst Harthern, who composed and edited Man into Woman

(02) Der Liebenswürdigkeit von Frau DielMrs. Louise Diel (historical, b. 1893), a German journalist and author verdanke ich die Kenntnis Ihres an sie gerichteten Briefes vom 15.Dezember und Ihrer eigenen die Uebermittlung des Lili ElbeLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931-Buches. Gestatten Sie mir zunächst für beides meinen verbindlichsten Dank auszusprechen.

(03) Leider jedoch muss ich aus Ihrem Brief an Frau DielMrs. Louise Diel (historical, b. 1893), a German journalist and author ersehen, dass Sie sich in einem sehr wichtigen Punkt zu Ungunsten meines Verlages in einem Irrtum befinden: Sie schreiben, dass ich für Auslandsbücher keine Vorschusszahlungen leiste. Es ist mir ganz unerklärlich, wie Sie zu einem solchen Irrtum zu gelangen vermochten, den ich durch die folgende Erklärung richtigzustellen mich beeile:

(04) Ich gebe hiermit die Erklärung ab, dass ich noch niemals die deutschen Rechte eines fremdsprachigen Werkes erworben habe, ohne bei Vertragsschluss eine angemessene Vorauszahlung zu leisten!

(05) Andererseits habe ich allerdings auch noch niemals Rechte nach dem Ausland vergeben, ohne bei Vertragsschluss eine angemessene Vorauszahlung zu erhalten. Bei der dänischen Ausgabe des Buches von Frau DielMrs. Louise Diel (historical, b. 1893), a German journalist and author handelt es sich hierbei um den ersten derartigen Fall. Aber wenn Sie und Ihr Verleger die Aussichten des Werkes von Frau DielMrs. Louise Diel (historical, b. 1893), a German journalist and author für Skandinavien so überaus pessimistisch beurteilen, so kann ich natürlich hieran nichts ändern, sondern nur hoffen, dass der Erfolg Ihren Verleger eines
[Page 2]
Besseren überzeugen wird.

(06) Bei Ihrer DresdenerDresden (historical), city in Germany Anwesenheit waren Sie so freundlich, mir die deutsche Ausgabe des Lili ElbeLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931-Buches anzubieten mit dem ausdrücklichen Hinweis auf die Tatsache, dass der Autor, bezw. die Autorin testamentarisch gewünscht hatbe, dass das Buch in meinem Verlag erscheinen solle. Ich bin nun auch grundsätzlich zur Verlagsübernahme bereit, natürlich bei angemessener Vorausszahlung, und bitte Sie um Uebermittlung des deutschen Manuskriptes, worauf meine endgültige Entscheidung sofort erfolgen wird. Mit dem mir übermittelten dänischen Buch vermag ich natürlich wenig anzufangen. Freilich maüsste ich gleichzeitig wissen, welchem anderen deutschen Verlag das Werk bisher vorgelegen hat. Beharren Sie noch auf dem gleichem Standpunkt wie bei unserer Aussprache in DresdenDresden (historical), city in Germany, der zufolge Sie gern den testamentarischen Wunsch von Lili ElbeLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931 erfüllen und das Werk in meinem Verlag erscheinen lassen würden, oder scheint Ihnen dieser Wunsch von Lili ElbeLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931 aus irgendwelchen Gründen nicht recht zu sein? Dass ich damals das Manuskript nicht sogleich mitzunehmen vermochte, werden Sie gewiss nicht missverstanden haben.

(07) Mit den besten Empfehlungen

(08) Ihr ganz ergebenster

Harry SchumannHarry Schumann (historical), head of Carl Reissner Verlag, the German publishing house in Dresden

Inhaber des Verlages

Carl ReissnerCarl Reissner (historical), a German publisher in Dresden

Hierauf hat Reissner dann seinen Brief geschrieben,  auf xxx, wo  er mir Verträge unter  besten  Bedin- gungen, die  überhaupt ein deutscher Verlag  bieten könne!

Translation

Page 1

DresdenDresden (historical), city in Germany-N.6, the 28th December 1931 Königstraße 13/ Telephone 54008

Mr. Niels HoyerNiels Hoyer (historical), pseudonym of Ernst Harthern, who composed and edited Man into Woman CopenhagenCopenhagen (historical), capital of Denmark Havnegade 47.

(01) Dear Mr. HoyerNiels Hoyer (historical), pseudonym of Ernst Harthern, who composed and edited Man into Woman!

(02) I owe the kindness of Mrs. DielMrs. Louise Diel (historical, b. 1893), a German journalist and author to the letter that you addressed to her on the 15th of December, and your own the transmission of the Lili ElbeLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931 book. Allow me to thank you thoroughly for both of these things.

(03) Unfortunately, I must correct you about a point that you made in your letter to Mrs. Diel, regarding my publishing company: you wrote, that I do not offer any advance payments for foreign books. It’s inexplicable to me, how you could arrive at such a conclusion, and I will quickly try to correct it in the following explanation:

(04) I hereby declare, that I have never gained the German rights to a foreign work, without having given an advance payment when the contract was concluded.

(05) Furthermore, I have never given away rights to foreign countries, without having received an advance payment when the contract was concluded. Mrs. Diel’sMrs. Louise Diel (historical, b. 1893), a German journalist and author Danish book is the first case where this has happened. But if you and your publishing company predict the outcome of Mrs. Diel’sMrs. Louise Diel (historical, b. 1893), a German journalist and author work in Scandinavia to be so negative, then I cannot change anything about that and can only hope, that its success will
[Page 2]
convince your publisher otherwise.

(06) When I saw you in DresdenDresden (historical), city in Germany, you were so kind as to offer me the German version of Lili Elbe’sLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931 book, along with the specific instructions that in her will, the author wished for the book to appear through my publishing company. For the most part, I am now ready to take over the publishing, provided I receive the appropriate advance payment, and ask you to send me the German manuscript, to which I will immediately reply my final decision. I can do little with the Danish version that was sent to me. Certainly, I would need to know, which other German publishers have previously had the book. Do you still insist, as during our discussion in DresdenDresden (historical), city in Germany, that Lili Elbe’sLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931 wish that the book be published through my publishing company should be honored, or does Lili Elbe’sLili Elbe (fictional and historical), legal name Lili Ilse Elvenes; born Einar Wegener (1882), died in Dresden, 1931 wish not seem right to you for any reason? Surely you did not misunderstand why I did not want to take the manuscript with me at the time.

(07) Best wishes,

(08) Yours sincerely

Harry SchumannHarry Schumann (historical), head of Carl Reissner Verlag, the German publishing house in Dresden

Owner of the publishing company

Carl ReissnerCarl Reissner (historical), a German publisher in Dresden

Here upon Reissner wrote his letter, on xxx, in which he offered me contracts under the best conditions that a German publisher  could offer!