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Erich Ludendorff

born Kruszewnia, April 9, 1865; died Tutzing, Dec 20,1937

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Alongside Paul von Hindenburg, the leading general of World War I. He was joint commander of the Third Supreme Command.

Correspondence with Schenker

Schenker wrote to Ludendorff on November 12, 1919 (diary OJ 3/3, p. 2400--the letter does not survive) enclosing a copy of his Der Tonwille, Heft 1 (1921), and received a brief but sympathetic handwritten reply (OC 24/11: November 19, 1921, received November 21, and forwarded to Hertzka on 23rd). He had made an allusion to "the genius of those two time-honored generals, Hindenburg and Ludendorff" in his lead article to the journal, "The Mission of German Genius." Schenker received a second, shorter reply (OC 24/11: January 21, 1922[?]), perhaps in response to his first letter, or perhaps to a second, saying that Ludendorff had read the pages indicated by Schenker and had been "spiritually uplifted" by them.

(He also received a letter from Paul Hindenburg (OC 24/18: November 19, 1921), and the draft of Schenker's initial letter survives (OC 24/14-15, undated).)

Contributors:

  • Marko Deisinger and Ian Bent

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Correspondence

  • OJ 10/1, [45] Handwritten letter from Dahms to Schenker, dated September 26, 1919

    Dahms responds to Schenker's letter (non-extant). He reflects on Prussian militarism. He declares that there is no such things as "military genius"; Germany was as guilty as the Entente Powers for the war; soldiers were treated as slaves by their officers, with Wilhelm II bearing the ultimate guilt. He rejects all political parties. England does not treat its people as Germany does. He believes only in the German spirit, which he regards as the spirit of the world. He cannot wait to leave Germany, and wants only to immerse himself in Schenker's work.

  • OJ 6/7, [2] Handwritten letter from Schenker to Moriz Violin, dated January 29, 1922

    Schenker offers to lend Violin his performing materials for two keyboard concertos by C. P. E. Bach. He inquires about musical life in Hamburg, reports on his most recent work, continues to despair of his financial situation.

  • OJ 10/1, [84] Typewritten letter from Dahms to Schenker, dated March 5, 1924

    Dahms thanks Schenker for information about Castiglione. The Deutsche Verlagsanstalt is being difficult. He is again writing for German newspapers. Tonwille 5 has excited him. He quotes a passage from the Musical Courier [which Schenker later quotes in Das Meisterwerk 1]. Ludendorff's exposure of intrigues by the papacy has evoked a strong reaction outside Germany.

Diaries