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Finding aid for the Harold von Hofe papers
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0390
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Title: Harold von Hofe papers
Collection number: 0390
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
12.0 Linear feet
33 boxes
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1940-1990
Date (inclusive): 1904-2000
Abstract: The collection comprises materials related to von Hofe's tenure as a librarian at USC as well as manuscripts, research notes,
articles, and correspondence. Most materials are related to Lion and Marta Feuchtwanger as well as other German-speaking exiles.
creator:
Von Hofe, Harold, 1912-2011
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Processed by: Michaela Ullmann, Adi Ben-Michael Data-entry by: Lauren Weindling, Matthew Gehm
Boxes 1-5, and 11-32 were deposited at USC after von Hofe retired. Boxes 6-10 were given to USC after von Hofe passed away.
The collection comprises materials related to Harold von Hofe's tenure as a librarian at USC. The collection contains manuscripts,
research notes, articles, and correspondence. Most materials are related to Lion and Marta Feuchtwanger as well as other German-speaking
exiles. Three boxes contain manuscripts for a book von Hofe was preparing about correspondence between Lion Feuchtwanger and
Benjamin Huebsch. One box contains materials about Marta Feuchtwanger. Box 5 contains von Hofe's transcriptions of Lion Feuchtwanger's
diaries, including his annotations.
[Box/folder# or item name], Harold von Hofe papers, Collection no. 0045, Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, Special Collections,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
The son of German musicians who immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, Harold von Hofe was born
in Plainsfield, N.J., on April 23, 1912. In 1939, after earning a bachelor's degree from New York University and a doctorate
from Northwestern University, von Hofe relocated to Los Angeles and took a job teaching German at USC. He became a professor
and served as chair of USC's German department from 1945-1956 (as well as from 1963-68 and 1971-74). Von Hofe's scholarly
work focused largely on the work of writers who fled Germany for Southern California during the Holocaust. An eminent scholar
in the field of German exile studies, Von Hofe's expertise was built on the relationships he developed with members of the
German émigré community in Los Angeles during World War II. From 1959 to 1963, von Hofe served as chair of the USC Division
of Humanities.
Von Hofe played a large role in acquiring one of USC's most prized scholarly research collections--the library of German-Jewish
author Lion Feuchtwanger. In the early 1940s, the then-associate professor visited Feuchtwanger's Pacific Palisades home,
Villa Aurora, and became friends with the author (Jud Süss) and his wife, Marta. Following Feuchtwanger's death in 1958, Von
Hofe convinced Marta that USC would be the ideal place to preserve her husband's collection of more than 30,000 volumes that
include Hebrew, Greek and Latin classics; a pre-Luther translation of the Bible; German and German-exile literature; books
and materials relating to the French Revolution; rare first editions and secondary works by authors such as Luther, Kant,
Goethe, Schiller, Voltaire and Rousseau; and a collection of texts and translations--including a 1493 Florentine edition--of
works by first-century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius.
Von Hofe became a close colleague of--and adviser to--Marta Feuchtwanger. Following her death in 1987, he served as executor
of her estate and subsequently dedicated the latter part of his career to publishing Lion Feuchtwanger's extensive correspondence,
thereby making these rich primary source materials available to scholars.
Among von Hofe's books: A German Sketchbook (co-authored with Ludwig Marcuse, 1979), Faust: Leben, Legende und Literatur (1965)
and Eine Reise durch Deutschland (1960), among dozens of others. He also edited, annotated and published numerous volumes
of Feuchtwanger's correspondence.
Harold von Hofe died Feb. 3, 2011 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 98.
Adapted from: Dan Knapp: In Memoriam--Harold von Hofe, in: USC Libraries, Libwire, retrieved 07/14/2011 from http://dotsx.usc.edu/newsblog/index.php/main/comments/in_memoriam_harold_von_hofe_98/
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Berstl, Julius, 1883-1975 -- Archives
Feuchtwanger, Lion, 1884-1958 -- Archives
Feuchtwanger, Marta -- Archives
Huebsch, B. W., (Benjamin W.), 1876-1964 -- Archives
Von Hofe, Harold, 1912-2011 -- Archives
Waldo, Hilde
Correspondence
Exiles--Germany--20th century--Archival resources
Manuscripts
University of Southern California--Archives