Wien XIX  Strasserg 47

16. 6. 1934

«FL»Dear Jones

«IP4,0»Freue mich sehr über den schönen Erfolg Ihres Sohnes (Ioan, nicht wahr?).  Er bleibe ein gutes Omen für die Zukunft.

Das Gerücht sagt, dass Groddeck zuletzt wegen psychischer Störung interniert war.  Die Parte theilt mit, dass er in Zürich gestorben ist; was hatte er in Z. zu suchen?  War er also im Burghölzli?  Die Zeit verlangt Opfer.  Menschen sterben, vielleicht bereitwilliger als sonst.  Gestern erfuhren wir, dass Frau Stella Zweig, Martin's unschätzbare Hilfskraft im Verlag, einem Anfall von Poleomyelitis vom Landry'schen Typus erlegen ist.  Eine grosse Verlegenheit für den Verlag.

Es ist schön hier im Grinzing, aber man wird seines Lebens nicht froh.  Die Fundamente schwanken.  Vielleicht grade jetzt hat uns der Intriguant M. in Venedig an den Räuberhauptmann H. verkauft.  Ich werde froh sein Sie (und Ihre Frau?) im Sommer bei uns zu sehen.  Aber wie wird es dann bei uns ausschauen?

«FR»Herzlich Ihr

«IP0,0»Freud

16 June 1934  Vienna XIX  Strasserg. 47

Dear Jones

«IP4,0»Am pleased about the fine success of your son (Joan, isn't it?).  May he remain a good omen for the future.

Rumour has it that in the end Groddeck was committed because of mental disturbance.  The announcement of his death states that he died in Zürich; what was he doing in Zürich?  Was he therefore in Burghölzli?«FN1.××Prior to his death Groddeck had been writing strange letters to Hitler, and had suffered a severe heart attack.  He had also gone to Zurich to read a paper on 2 June 1934 before the Swiss Psychoanalytic Society.  He died shortly after at Schloss Knonau in the canton of Zurich.  »  The times demand sacrifices.  People die, perhaps more willingly than before.  We learned yesterday that Mrs. Stella Zweig, Martin's invaluable assistant at the Verlag, died from an attack of poliomyelitis (Landry's form).  A great predicament for the Verlag.

It is beautiful here in Grinzing, but one does not enjoy life.  The foundations are rocking.  Perhaps at this very moment the intriguer M. in Venice is selling us to the captain of the thieves H.«FN1.××The German is "Räuberhauptmann H."  It is tempting to posit an allusion here to Friedrich Schiller's play «MDUL»Die Räuber«MDNM» (1781) and to the German writer Gerhart Hauptmann (1862‑1946), which might imply that literature was also imperiled, along with any political dealings that were being concocted in the encounter between Mussolini and Hitler, which took place 14‑15 June 1934.»  I will be happy to see you (and your wife?) with us in the summer.  But what will it look like here then?

«IP0,0»                             Cordially Yours  Freud