| Repository | Special Collections Archives (GB 0029) |
| Ref No | EUL MS 214 |
| Date | 1891-1937 |
| Level | Collection |
| Extent | 60 boxes |
| Title | Arthur Schnitzler presscuttings archive |
| Description | The collection brings together an extensive body of evidence on the reception of Schnitzler's work and contains mainly press-cuttings (c 23,000) relating to the life and works of Arthur Schnitzler, collected during the period 1891-1937. German-speaking countries are well represented, and articles are also included in English, Danish, Russian, Italian and French, as well as in other major European languages.
The sections concerning 'Liebelei' and 'Reigen' are the largest (approx. 1,200 cuttings) in the collection. The collection also includes illustrations, cartoons, offprints, playbills and programmes, as well as cuttings relating to Schnitzler's death in 1931. Regalia such as a red ribbon commemorating Schnitzler's fiftieth birthday and knitting patterns for caps and kneewarmers to clothe the troops in the First World War are also held. There are a number of early editions of Schnitzler's own publications from journals and newspapers; for example, 'Leutnant Gustl' which was published in 'Neue Freie Presse' no. 13053 under the title 'Lieutenant Gustl' on December 1900. |
| Admin History | Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931), dramatist, novelist and critic, was one of the principal figures in the Viennese fin de siecle movement. He was born in Vienna to a bourgoisie Jewish household and was the son of Johann Schnitzler. He trained as a doctor initially and was particularly interested in psychology and psychiatry. He began his literary career in the 1890s and became known to a wide audience through his play 'Liebelei' which was produced in 1895, building on the reputation of 'Anatol' which was released in 1893. Many of his works, such as 'Reigen' (filmed as 'La Ronde') and 'Leutnant Gustl', provoked controversy. His play 'Professor Bernhardi' could not be shown until 1918, six years after completion, due to censoring. After establishing his career as a dramatist, he turned to fiction with great success, publishing works such as 'Sterben' (1895) and 'Fraeulein Else' (1924). |
| Language | German, French, English, Russian, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Hungarian, Czech, Spanish, Polish, Serbo-Croatian |
| Access Status | Open |
| Copyright | Usual EUL restrictions apply. |
| Related Material | Papers of Schnitzler are held at Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts. See also the Schnitzler Archive which is held at the German Literature Archives, Marbacher Institute, Germany (see www.dla-marbach.de). |
| Access Conditions | Usual EUL arrangements apply. Microfiche copies are available for consultation. |
| Arrangement | The cuttings were originally stored in custom-made wooden cabinets. The cuttings were filed in bundles for each of Schnitzler's works, as they had been arranged during his lifetime. Many cuttings contain annotations by Schnitzler himself. This crude classification combined with the fragile state of some of the items and the lack of index impeded research.
The Research Fund of the University of Exeter and the Oesterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften initiated a project to sort the cuttings, to rebox them and to index them. The full extent of the task was never achieved, but 380 microfiches were produced along with a catalogue. The collection was originally housed in 45 box files arranged in the order created by the project. The collection was re-boxed in 2005-2006, and the original box order and referencing system retained. In practice, the collection has been divided into 7 sub-fonds, as is used by the CALM electronic cataloguing system. The original box and envelope/file arrangement of the initial cataloguing project is used to retrieve items. |
| Finding_Aids | Listed. A catalogue of the collection was prepared by Ingrid Leis during a joint project of the Research Group of the University of Exeter and the Oesterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften in 1990. This paper catalogue was transferred to CALM (and standardised to ISAD(G)) by Charlotte Berry, Sebastian Klaes and Stephanie Piotrowski, Jan-May 2006. |
| Creator_Name | Schnitzler; Arthur (1862-1931); dramatist, novelist and critic |
| Mgt_Group | Literary papers |