Correspondence between Walter Arthur Berendsohn and the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Hamburg , turn of the year 1954 / 55 .
author: Walter A. Berendsohn / Dekan der Philosophischen Fakultät
source date: 20.12.1954, 03.01.1955, 08.01.1955
edition published: postwar period
language: eng
availability: Hamburg State Archives, 361-6 I 3202 Walter Berendsohn

Faculty Office Received: December 21, 1954 G. December 20,[^1]54 To the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy Professor Dr. Geißler University of Hamburg Dear Dean of Faculty!

[^1: [19]]

It has been my wish for years to re-establish friendly relations with my university, where I taught from 1919 to 1933, as it was painful for me to pass by it when visiting my hometown of Hamburg. Your message at Christmas brought me hope that it would soon be fulfilled. I had never even learned abroad that the University of Kiel had withdrawn my doctorate. But since it happened, I immediately applied to have this measure reversed. I gave two lectures in Kiel last spring and consequently I hope that the matter will not cause any great difficulties there, all the less so as I am in contact with Professor Dr. Wolfgang [...] in scholarly correspondence.

When the venia legendi[^2]has been reinstated, I will be able to make use of it to a very modest degree only, as I am over 70 years old and I am still at the local university, the Stockholm University, reading “German Literature.” I suggest

[^2: authorization to teach at a university on completion of post-doctoral thesis]

that in the summer semester of 1955, around the second half of May, I would announce a few lectures on Swedish literature, 4 (four)x at most. I leave the question of a possible honorarium entirely to the faculty. My main concern is to be in contact with German students and colleagues and thus subject my working method to some scrutiny.

As soon as the faculty gives me their approval regarding this proposal, we can determine the details, subject, days of the week, hours.

With the highest esteem Yours very sincerely,
Walter Arthur Berendsohn
x I mean 4 individual lectures overall, by no means four semester lectures!

January 3, 1955 Mr. Professor Walter Arthur Berendsohn Stramaljvägen 811 Bromma - Stockholm – Sweden – Dear Colleague!

Thank you for your letter dated December 20, 1954, which I am only now able to answer because of the Christmas holidays. Please allow me to tell you in all frankness and very personally the following.

The faculty, when deliberating on your venia legendi[^3], was guided solely by the conviction that the political injustice inflicted on you at the time must be redressed under any circumstances. It has therefore decided to regard your venia legendi[^4]as still valid. In doing so, the faculty has disregarded the considerable reservations that have been raised against your academic work and that I do not wish to detail here, on the assumption that, because of your stay in Sweden and because of your advanced age, you would be content with being listed in the course calendar and that you would no longer make actual use of your authorization to teach.

[^3: authorization to teach at a university on completion of post-doctoral thesis]

[^4: authorization to teach at a university on completion of post-doctoral thesis]

Since your letter shows that this assumption was erroneous, I consider myself obliged to inform you of the state of affairs and I would like to ask you very much to refrain from your plan so as not to conjure up an unpleasant situation for both sides. I will therefore not present your proposal to the faculty for the time being, instead treating it as confidential and awaiting your response.

please turn

With the request that you may receive this frank, personal letter as it is meant, I am

Yours very sincerely
G.
(Geißler)

Faculty Office Receipt: January 10, 1955 G. January 8,[^5]55 To the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy Professor Dr. Geißler Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1 Hamburg 13 Dear Dean of Faculty!

[^5: [19]]

On the basis of your communication, I waive the use of the venia legendi[^6]but not the request for entry in the course calendar. It is very welcome to me that my proposal has given me the true opinion of the faculty.

[^6: authorization to teach at a university on completion of post-doctoral thesis]

Fortunately, my reputation as a researcher is not, either in Sweden, in the rest of the world, or even in Germany, dependent on the judgment of the Germanists at the Faculty of Philosophy in Hamburg.

Personally, I am indebted to you for your frankness.

Yours very sincerely
Walter Arthur Berendsohn
[...] Walter Arthur Berendsohn [...] gen 811 Bromma-Stockholm Telephone 263169