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{recto}
[all in a decorated rule-frame]

[Absender:] Dr Heinrich Schenker
Wien III., Reisnerstr. 38

[An:] H. Kad. Asp. Violin Moriz
Marburg a/d Drau 1
f. H. 6
Artillerie Kaserne

[postmark:] || [illeg] | [illeg] XI. 17‒5 | * 5a * ||

[For continuation, see below]

{verso}

Fl! 2

Deine erste Karte 3 hatte leider die Adresse nicht; da ich aber einfach nur: „Mburg, Artill K.“ zu schreiben doch bedenken haben mußte, wandte ich mich zuerst an deine Frau wegen der näheren Adresse. Bei dieser Gelegenheit erfuhr ich nicht nur über die Kleinen Alles Nötige, die wir inzwischen ja doch nicht sehen konnten, sondern auch über dich selbst Erfreuliches. 4 Nun erreicht mich wieder deine 2. Karte, gerade da ich mich anschickte, dir bezüglich der 1.ten Aufklärung zu geben: so du „Großes“ ankündigst, glaube ich zu ahnen, was du meinst. Das Größte liegt ja hinter uns! Nichts Größeres kann mehr nachkommen. ‒ 5

Marmalade werden wir, wie du dir denken kannst, mit dem nötigen Respekt entgegennehmen! Denn die Seele des Hinterlandes ist der Wucher geworden, in einer Schamlosigkeit wie ich sie der Mensch-Bestie niemals zugetraut hätte. Wie sich im Ze cichen des Wuchers wehrlos u. ohnmächtig lebt, kannst du dir denken. Vielleicht bringt der heute früh {recto} durch die Zeitungen bekannt gewordene „Waffenstillstand“ eine leichte Besserung. Hoffentlich steht dein Urlaub schon im Zeichen des Waffenstillstandes! 6


Von mir u. Lieliechen beste, allerbeste Grüße
Dein
[signed:] H.
23. XI. 1917

© Transcription Ian Bent and William Drabkin, 2016

{recto}
[all in a decorated rule-frame]

[From:] Dr. Heinrich Schenker
Vienna III, Reisnerstraße 38

[To:] Trainee Cadet Violin Moriz
Marburg on the Drau 1
f. H. 6
Artillery Baracks

[postmark:] || [illeg] | [illeg] XI. 17‒5 | * 5a * ||

[For continuation, see below]

{verso}

Floriz, 2

Unfortunately, your first postcard 3 did not include your address. But since I had only "Mburg, Artillery B." to go on, I contacted you wife for a fuller address. On this occasion I learned not only all that I needed to know about the little ones, whom we had not in the meantime been able to see, but also pleasant news about yourself. 4 Now your second postcard has reached me, just as I was about to give you an explanation in response to your first postcard. So you announce "something great", I think I can sense what you mean: the bulk of it is indeed behind us! Nothing bigger can still be to come. ‒ 5

We will, as you can well imagine, accept jam with the appropriate deference! For the soul away from the front lines has become [corrupted by] usury, in a shamelessness such as I would never have believed man-beast capable of. You can't imagine how people are living, defenseless and powerless, under the sign of usury. Perhaps the "truce" announced {recto} via the newspapers this morning will bring some slight improvement. Let's hope that your leave will fall while the truce is still in force! 6


Best ‒ best possible greetings from Lieliechen and myself,
Your
[signed:] H.
November 23, 1917

© Translation Ian Bent and William Drabkin, 2016

{recto}
[all in a decorated rule-frame]

[Absender:] Dr Heinrich Schenker
Wien III., Reisnerstr. 38

[An:] H. Kad. Asp. Violin Moriz
Marburg a/d Drau 1
f. H. 6
Artillerie Kaserne

[postmark:] || [illeg] | [illeg] XI. 17‒5 | * 5a * ||

[For continuation, see below]

{verso}

Fl! 2

Deine erste Karte 3 hatte leider die Adresse nicht; da ich aber einfach nur: „Mburg, Artill K.“ zu schreiben doch bedenken haben mußte, wandte ich mich zuerst an deine Frau wegen der näheren Adresse. Bei dieser Gelegenheit erfuhr ich nicht nur über die Kleinen Alles Nötige, die wir inzwischen ja doch nicht sehen konnten, sondern auch über dich selbst Erfreuliches. 4 Nun erreicht mich wieder deine 2. Karte, gerade da ich mich anschickte, dir bezüglich der 1.ten Aufklärung zu geben: so du „Großes“ ankündigst, glaube ich zu ahnen, was du meinst. Das Größte liegt ja hinter uns! Nichts Größeres kann mehr nachkommen. ‒ 5

Marmalade werden wir, wie du dir denken kannst, mit dem nötigen Respekt entgegennehmen! Denn die Seele des Hinterlandes ist der Wucher geworden, in einer Schamlosigkeit wie ich sie der Mensch-Bestie niemals zugetraut hätte. Wie sich im Ze cichen des Wuchers wehrlos u. ohnmächtig lebt, kannst du dir denken. Vielleicht bringt der heute früh {recto} durch die Zeitungen bekannt gewordene „Waffenstillstand“ eine leichte Besserung. Hoffentlich steht dein Urlaub schon im Zeichen des Waffenstillstandes! 6


Von mir u. Lieliechen beste, allerbeste Grüße
Dein
[signed:] H.
23. XI. 1917

© Transcription Ian Bent and William Drabkin, 2016

{recto}
[all in a decorated rule-frame]

[From:] Dr. Heinrich Schenker
Vienna III, Reisnerstraße 38

[To:] Trainee Cadet Violin Moriz
Marburg on the Drau 1
f. H. 6
Artillery Baracks

[postmark:] || [illeg] | [illeg] XI. 17‒5 | * 5a * ||

[For continuation, see below]

{verso}

Floriz, 2

Unfortunately, your first postcard 3 did not include your address. But since I had only "Mburg, Artillery B." to go on, I contacted you wife for a fuller address. On this occasion I learned not only all that I needed to know about the little ones, whom we had not in the meantime been able to see, but also pleasant news about yourself. 4 Now your second postcard has reached me, just as I was about to give you an explanation in response to your first postcard. So you announce "something great", I think I can sense what you mean: the bulk of it is indeed behind us! Nothing bigger can still be to come. ‒ 5

We will, as you can well imagine, accept jam with the appropriate deference! For the soul away from the front lines has become [corrupted by] usury, in a shamelessness such as I would never have believed man-beast capable of. You can't imagine how people are living, defenseless and powerless, under the sign of usury. Perhaps the "truce" announced {recto} via the newspapers this morning will bring some slight improvement. Let's hope that your leave will fall while the truce is still in force! 6


Best ‒ best possible greetings from Lieliechen and myself,
Your
[signed:] H.
November 23, 1917

© Translation Ian Bent and William Drabkin, 2016

Footnotes

1 Marburg an der Drau = Maribor, in Slovenia, then still part of Austria-Hungary.

2 Writing of this postcard is recorded in Schenker's diary at OJ 2/9, p. 799, November 23, 1917: "An Fl. (K.): teile ihm bezüglich seiner ersten Karte mit, daß sie ohne Adresse gekommen, weshalb ich erst seine Frau um diese ersuchen mußte. Zur Entgegennahme der Marmelade erklären wir uns mit Vergnügen bereit." ("To Floriz (postcard): I intimate to him in regard to his first postcard, that it came without an address, whereupon I had first to request this of his wife. We declare ourselves prepared for the reception of the jam, with pleasure.").

3 The contents of Moriz Violin's two postcards, neither of which is known to survive, are summarized in Schenker's diary [1] at OJ 2/9, p. 796, November 16, 1917: "Von Fl. (K.): beschäftigt mit Approvisionierung; bittet um Brief, versäumt aber, seine Adresse anzugeben." ("From Floriz (postcard): is occupied with supplying provisions; requests letter, fails however to give his address."); and [2] ibid, p. 799, November 23, 1917: "Von Fl. (2. K.): sagt Marmelade zu." ("From Floriz (second postcard): promises jam.").

4 The contents of Valerie Violin's postcard, which is not known to survive, is recorded in Schenker's diary at OJ 2/9, p. 797, November 20, 1917: "Von Wally (K.): gibt die Adresse ihres Gatten an u. teilt mit, daß es ihr u. den Kindern gut gehe." ("From Wally (postcard): gives the address of her husband and communicates that she and the children are doing well.").

5 Schenker enters an endash and then continues without paragraph-break.

6 There is a further postcard from Schenker to Moriz Violin that is not known to survive but the contents of which are summarized in Schenker's diary at OJ 2/9, p. 804, November 29, 1917: "An Fl. (K.): ein Wort über Halms Aufsatz u. Erkundigung der zugesagten Marmelade." ("To Floriz (postcard): a word about Halm's essay, and inquiry about the promised jam.").

Commentary

Format
Printed postcard, holograph sender and recipient addresses, message-continuation, valediction, and signature recto; holograph salutation and message-beginning verso
Provenance
Violin, Moriz (document date-1956)--Heirs of Moriz Violin (1956-197?)--University of California, Riverside (197?--)
Rights Holder
Heirs of Heinrich Schenker, deemed to be in the public domain
License
All reasonable steps have been taken to locate the heirs of Heinrich Schenker. Any claim to intellectual rights on this document should be addressed to the Schenker Documents Online, at schenkercorrespondence [at] mus (dot) cam (dot) ac (dot) uk

Digital version created: 2016-01-31
Last updated: 2010-02-10