Guide to the Papers of Franz Kobler (1882-1965)
1906-1971 (bulk 1933-1965)

AR 7184 / MF 760

Series I: Personal, 1906-1971.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Series I contains the personal papers of Franz Kobler. In this series will be found biographical material, official records, documents pertaining to the Eugen Ehrlich estate, and a few papers on Richard Kobler's invention of a remote-controlled recording machine. The biographical documents found here include both a curriculum vitae and copies of newspaper artuckes on Franz Kobler.

Series II: Correspondence, 1937-1965.

Arrangement:

Series II is divided into correspondence from individuals and correspondence from organizations.

Scope and Content:

Series II is comprised of the correspondence of Franz Kobler. The collection holds both personal correspondence as well as business correspondence with organizations, especially those involved in the publication of Kobler's writings.

Subseries 1: Individuals, 1937-1965.

Arrangement:

The correspondence in this series is organized in the following manner:

• A) Specific Individuals
• B) Alphabetical Correspondence
• C) Birthday Correspondence

Scope and Content:

This subseries holds correspondence between Franz Kobler and other individuals. The subseries has been organized following the order found in an earlier paper finding aid, comprising correspondence with specific individuals and that which was alphabetically arranged; extensive correspondence with certain individuals in the alphabetical files have been separated out for preservation purposes and ease of use. Correspondence with some individuals is located in both areas of the subseries.

The letters found here are for the most part casual in nature; much of the correspondence here is with friends or family members. Researchers should note that the majority of the correspondence dates after Franz Kobler's arrival in the United States. One individual with whom Kobler exchanged many letters was the Austrian musician and teacher Gershon Jarecki; in addition to routine news their correspondence concerns numerous and varied topics from politics and history to music and literature. Correspondence with Else Lasken-Schueler dates primarily from the 1930s and briefly mentions some of the changes occuring at that time.

Letters exchanged with family members will also be found in this subseries. These include correspondence with Franz Kobler's son Richard and daughter-in-law Leonor, and his grandchildren Arthur, Linda, and Raymond. Correspondence with Franz Kobler's sister Margit Fischer is also located here. Poetry written by Franz Kobler on significant occassions for friends will also be found among the correspondence.

Correspondence with several individuals from publishing houses discusses the publications of Kobler's articles and books. These types of letters will be found among the correspondence of Manfred Schlosser, Kim N. Cohen, Solomon Grayzel, William Margulies, Raphael Patai, Thomas Yoselhoff, and Lesser Zussmann.

A) Specific Individuals

B) Alphabetical Correspondence

C) Eightieth Birthday Correspondence

Subseries 2: Organizations, 1943-1965.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Organizational correspondence is located in Subseries 2. This subseries primarily consists of correspondence with publishers of Kobler's writings.

Correspondence with East and West Library, and its parent company, the Ararat Publication Society of America, concern the publication of Letters of Jews Through the Ages. The extensive correspondence with this company discusses the progress of the book during its production, with mention of possible illustrations, proofs, costs, and similar topics. A copy of the contract with Ararat Publication Society of America is located in this organization's folder. Correspondence with the Conference on Material Claims Against Germany discusses research grants with the organization in the 1950s. Letters exchanged with Frederick Ungar Publishing mention the translation of Kobler's Das Gastmahl, and include a copy of the contract as well as a musical score written for the work. Extensive correspondence with the Leo Baeck Institute discusses the publication of an article by Franz Kobler on Fritz Heymann. The World Jewish Congress published Kobler's The Vision was There; included among the correspondence with the company are a few reviews of this book.

Series III: Writings, 1841-1968.

Arrangement:

Writings are arranged alphabetically by title of the work:

• Subseries 1: Charles Henry Churchill
• Subseries 2: The Contribution of the Austrian Jews to Law and Jurisprudence
• Subseries 3: Juden und Judentum in deutschen Briefen aus drei Jahrhunderten
• Subseries 4: Jüdische Geschichte in Briefen aus Ost und West
• Subseries 5: Napoleon and the Jews
• Subseries 6: A Treasury of Jewish Letters
• Subseries 7: The Vision was There: a History of the British Movement for the Restoration of the Jews to Palestine
• Subseries 8: Other Writings

Scope and Content:

This series is comprised of documents relating to Franz Kobler's literary work. For the most part this includes numerous drafts and notes of Kobler's works, as well as photocopies of published articles by others on the topic, book reviews of Kobler's works, and newspaper and journal articles. In addition a small amount of correspondence pertaining to specific works will also be found in this series.

Several of Kobler's books portrayed the history of Jews through the analysis of individuals' letters. These books included Juden und Judentum in deutschen Briefen aus drei Jahrhunderten, Jüdische Geschichte in Briefen aus Ost und West, A Treasury of Jewish Letters, and Her Children Call her Blessed: a Portrait of the Jewish Mother. Most of the notes for these works consist of typed or handwritten excerpts of letters, garnered from published and unpublished sources.

Subseries 1: Charles Henry Churchill, 1841-1963.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 contains documents used in Franz Kobler's article on Charles Henry Churchill, a British officer in Lebanon who was a distant relative of Winston Churchill and grandson of George Spencer-Churchill, the fifth Earl of Marlborough. Documents found here include various drafts as well as notes and articles used in the production of the article. Although the lengthy article is a biography, it primarily focuses on Charles Henry Churchill's efforts to promote the restoration of Israel to the Jews as early as 1841. Correspondence in this subseries consists of opinions on the work as well as discussion on the use of a photograph of the subject.

Subseries 2: The Contribution of the Austrian Jews to Law and Jurisprudence, 1918-1965.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 2 is comprised of papers pertaining to the creation of Franz Kobler's book The Contribution of the Austrian Jews to Law and Jurisprudence. Documents consist of several versions of manuscripts of the work, including two under the title "Pioneers of Jurisprudence." Correspondence found here is primarily with Josef Fraenkel at the World Council of Jews from Austria, and concerns the publication of the book.

Subseries 3: Juden und Judentum in deutschen Briefen aus drei Jahrhunderten, 1935-1939.

Arrangement:

This subseries is arranged in the following manner:

• A) Notebooks
  • i) Numbered Notebooks
    • a) Manuscripts with consecutive page numbering
    • b) Manuscripts without consecutive page numbering
  • ii) Unnumbered Notebooks
• B) Other Documentation

Scope and Content:

Subseries 3 holds documents used in the production of Juden und Judentum in deutschen Briefen aus drei Jahrhunderten, first published in 1935. Most of the papers in this subseries are various drafts of the manuscript of the work. Many of the notebooks of drafts were numbered, although the numeration does not always correspond to divisions within the final published work. The notebooks often contain possible chapter headings with lists of major topics within the notebooks.

In addition to drafts of the work, this subseries also holds some notes Kobler used in the production of the book, as well as a folder of book reviews.

A) Notebooks

i) Numbered Notebooks

a) Manuscripts with consecutive page numbering

b) Manuscripts without consecutive page numbering

ii) Unnumbered Notebooks

B) Other Documentation

Subseries 4: Jüdische Geschichte in Briefen aus Ost und West, 1935-1941.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

This subseries consists of extensive notes and some book reviews pertaining to the work Jüdische Geschichte in Briefen aus Ost und West. The notes in this subseries are frequently handwritten; typed notes include excerpts of significant letters that may have been used in the book.

Subseries 5: Napoleon and the Jews, 1922-1964.

Arrangement:

Divided into Manuscripts and Publications and Research Material and Notes.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 5 holds material on Franz Kobler's work Napoleon and the Jews, comprised both of drafts of the book as well as notes used in writing various portions of it. The work discussed a proclamation made by Napoleon declaring a Jewish state. Various versions of Kobler's work are included here.

A) Manuscripts and Publications

B) Research Material and Notes

Subseries 6: A Treasury of Jewish Letters, 1936-1955.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 6 holds documents used in the creation of Franz Kobler's book A Treasury of Jewish Letters. In addition to the drafts of the book, "Manuscript Material" also contains what may have been earlier or variant drafts of portions of the work. "Research Material" includes handwritten and typed notes as well as photocopies of relevant published articles.

Subseries 7: The Vision Was There: a History of the British Movement for the Restoration of the Jews to Palestine, 1919-1958.

Arrangement:

This subseries is divided into Manuscripts and Research Material, Notes, and Early Drafts.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 7 holds drafts and notes pertaining to Franz Kobler's The Vision was There. There are two versions of drafts of this work under different names. In addition to the drafts, this subseries features some notes on Zionism and related topics.

A) Manuscripts

B) Research Material, Notes, and Early Drafts

Subseries 8: Other Writings, 1919-1960.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 8 contains documents pertaining to works of Franz Kobler of which there is a smaller amount in the collection. Included here are items on his works Her Children Call Her Blessed, Platon: das Gastmahl, and Letters of Jews Through the Ages, among others.

As in the previous subseries, most of the material found here is manuscripts and notes Kobler may have used in the creation of these works, as well as some book reviews. Manuscripts include a lengthy and apparently unpublished piece on Adolph Sutro, a mayor and prominent Jewish businessman of San Francisco. "Invisible Cap and Fire-Magic" is Kobler's translation of his 1933 criticism of the National Socialists that focused on the symbolism the Nazis placed on fire and the "invisible cap" (Tarnkappe).

Series IV: Research Files, 1909-1964.

Arrangement:

This series contains three parts:

• 1) Individuals
• 2) Topics
• 3) Newspaper Clippings

Scope and Content:

Series IV holds research material on people and subjects that may have been used for some of Franz Kobler's works or which may have been reference files. These files contain notes, occasionally with copies of published articles or drafts of essays on the topic by Kobler. The notes often include excerpts from individuals' letters, similar to some of the notes found in Series III.

1) Individuals

2) Topics

3) Newspaper Clippings