Erika Mann: Letter to Sarah Brandes (15 March 1938)
Erika Mann: Letter to Sarah Brandes (15 March 1938)
Since I personally cannot do anything for him (my name being to [!] dangerous to be mentioned in any such connection) I wish to urge you, to do everything you can, in order to find out, where he is and to help him, wherever he is!
Erika Mann in a letter to Sarah Brandes, 15 March 1938
At first sight we have here the formal correspondence between Erika Mann and an aid organization for German-speaking intellectuals. However, behind this we see the author’s desperation in the face of the dangers created in Germany by National Socialism and of her own powerlessness in exile. She is relieved that an acquaintance has been able to reach safety thanks to the American Guild, but in the same moment reveals herself to be concerned about other friends who have not yet been able to find refuge. The uncertainty torments her like a “nightmare”. She is particularly worried about her friend and earlier cabaret colleague Magnus Henning because she has no news of his whereabouts.
The object on display shows just how far National Socialism shaped the daily lives of those affected by it even after their flight into exile: only a short while previously Erika Mann and Magnus Henning had stood together on stage celebrating the success of their political cabaret. The friends had also taken on the challenge of fleeing to Switzerland and reopening The Pepper Mill together. After the exile theatre had flopped in New York, they went their separate ways – Magnus Henning travelled back to Europe and Erika Mann lost sight of him. Now, as she writes the letter, the author finds herself alone in the U.S.A. without any contact to her friend and deeply worried about him.
(Author: Emily Kreß)
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