Friedrich S. Krauss Papers, 1884-1930

Summary

Creators:

Krauss, Friedrich S. (Friedrich Salomo), 1859-1938

Abstract:

Friedrich S. Krauss (1859-1938) was an Austrian ethnographer and folklorist. He specialized in Slavic ethnography and folklore. During the course of his fieldwork, he amassed one of the largest collections of Guslar epic songs. He later turned his attention to erotic folklore, which helped lay the groundwork for the emerging Viennese psychoanalytic school. The collection consists of research materials, manuscripts, illustrations, and published materials on south Slavic folklore compiled by Krauss. The collection also includes hundreds of drawings by Max Lehmann.

Extent:

15 boxes (7.5 linear ft.) 3 oversize boxes

Language:

English.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of research materials, manuscripts, illustrations, and published materials on south Slavic folklore compiled by Austrian ethnographer and folklorist Friedrich Salomo Krauss. Also includes hundreds of drawings by Max Lehmann. Although most of the materials in the collection are in German, some are in Slavic.

Biographical / historical:

Krauss was born in 1859 in Pozega, Slavonia; awarded degree in classical philology from the University of Vienna in 1882; later turned his attention to south Slavic ethnography and folklore; took field trip from 1884-85 to Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Dalmatia, and amassed one of the largest collections of Guslar epic songs; he later turned his attention to erotic folklore, which helped lay the groundwork for the emerging Viennese psychoanalytic school; books include: Sitte und Brauch der Südslaven (1885), Volkesglaube und religiöser Brauch der Südslaven (1890), Streifzüge im Reiche der Frauenschönheit (1903), and Die Anmut des Frauenleibes (1904); he died on May 30, 1938 in Vienna.

Acquisition information:

Gift of Wilhelm Krauss, 1968.

Gift of Mel Hart, 1990.

Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

1. Slavenart: Folkloristische Abhandlungen und Folkbresammlungen (Box 1).
2. Von Tanz in Sitte, Brauch, Glauben und Gewohnheitrecht der Völker (Box 2).
3. Das Mieder in Sitte, Brauch und Glauben der Völker (Box 3).
4. Manuscript on trees in folklore (Box 4).
5. Tausend Sagen und Märchen der Südslaven (Box 5).
6. Female beauty and women in society (Boxes 6-7).
7. Miscellaneous folklore material (Box 8, 12).
8. Dance and music (Boxes 9-10).
9. Writings of other authors and correspondence (Box 11).
10. Published materials (Box 13).
11. Materials, mostly in Slavic (Boxes 14-15).
12. Drawings by Max Lehmann (Boxes 16-17).
13. Das Minnelied des Deutschen Land- und Stadtvolkes (Box 18).

Physical location:

Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Related resources

Separated material:

• Anfangs und in der Mitte einige sehr wertvolle Volkslieder Auch ein mohamed. Slavisches Rarität ersten Ranges- aufg. von einem Franzi-skaner v. J. 1848. Trinksprüche aus dem Volke. Ein Lied von Dzelalij pasa (an 500 Verse). This manuscript, dated 1848, has been cataloged in the Numbered Collections catalog, available at Department of Special Collections, UCLA (Collection 170 no.585).
• Leoty, Ernest. Le Corset. A Travers les Ages. Paris, Paul Ollendorff Editeur, 1893. Illustrated by Saint-Elme Gautier. This book has been cataloged in the Rare Book Catalog, available at Department of Special Collections, UCLA (GT/2075/L46/1893).

Other descriptive data:

Dr. Donald Ward and I are currently editing the papers of Friedrich Krauss for publication. The manuscripts on Slavenart (Box 1) and Das Mieder (Box 3) are listed in none of the standard reference bibliographies with the exception of Dagener's 1928 Wer Ist's, which drew its information in all probability from an update by Krauss. The first selection of these papers targeted for publication will be the reconstruction of the second volume of Tausend Sagen und Marchen der Sudslaven (Box 5). Although Krauss announced eight volumes in the series, only the first appeared in print in 1914. Originally the first two volumes were to contain unpublished fairy tales and legends from Krauss's own collection.

... will ich die ersten zwei Pände nur mit Geschichten aus meinem eigenen Speicher aüsfullen... XVI. Tausend Sagen und Marchen der Sudslaven. vol.1.

Strong evidence indicates that Krauss intended to reprint volume one, replacing the illustrations with new ones by Max Lehmann (Box 5 folder 2). Thus, in an attempt to maintain the integrity of Krauss's project, we shall publish both volume one and the reconstructed second volume in German following, whenever possible, the format indicated by Krauss and Lehmann.

These papers together with the University Research Library's extensive holdings of Krauss's published work (donated to the library by Wilhelm Krauss) comprise one of the largest collections on Friedrich S. Krauss in existence and offers a wealth of material on a scholar who played a unique role in the cultural history of Vienna.

Raymond Burt

Department of Germanic Languages

UCLA

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Folklore--Slavic countries--Archival resources.
Folklorists--Austria--Archives.
Drawings.

Names:

Krauss, Friedrich S. (Friedrich Salomo), 1859-1938--Archives.

Location of this collection:

UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library

A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library

Box 951575

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US

Contact:

(310) 825-4988

AskLSC@library.ucla.edu

Website