Letters of recommendation for Albert Ehrenstein (probably 1942)
Letters of recommendation for Albert Ehrenstein (probably 1942)
In the history of German poetry he will not be forgotten.
Franz Werfel, in his letter of recommendation for Albert Ehrenstein
After his escape to the USA Albert Ehrenstein made further attempts to establish himself in the literary world. He never mastered English well enough to write in it. Consequently, he either needed to rely on the limited opportunities to write for German journals or hope to find translators for his own work. Apparently, in 1942 he won a scholarship to write a fantastical-satirical novel. As part of the scholarship application, he most likely submit letters of recommendation from Franz Werfel, Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, Max Eastman, and Babette Deutsch. Typewritten copies of these letters were found in his estate.
Further reading:
Uwe Laugwitz: Albert Ehrenstein. Studien zu Leben, Werk und Wirkung. Frankfurt am Main, Bern, New York, Paris: Peter Lang 1987
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