Guide to the Papers of Gertrud Kurth (1904-1999)
1877-1996

AR 10905 / MF 961

Series I: Personal, 1904-1979.

Scope and Content:

Series I contains Gertrud Kurth's personal documents such as passports, birth and marriage certificates, and school reports. The photocopies of the babybook of Gertrud Kurth records food she ate and her weight as she grew. Among the folder of later personal documents is Kurth's last will and a description of her citizenship interview in 1944. This document specifically concerns the type and amount of questioning she received during the interview. The final folder of this series holds primarily address books as well as daily calendars noting appointments.

Series II: Correspondence, 1909-1996.

Scope and Content:

Series II holds Gertud Kurth's personal and business correspondence. The correspondence discusses family and family friends, personal concerns, and work. There is some discussion about the war and its effects on the family. Correspondence before the war often concerns the recounting of family vacations in Switzerland, France, and Italy.

Much of the early business correspondence is comprised of letters of recommendation, while other letters are from editors concerning her work. The later business correspondence also often mentions Gertrud Kurth's written work, while other letters mention various projects Gertrud Kurth worked on. Some letters from the folder of later correspondence concern her mother, who resided in London.

Series III: Writings,  1929-1965.

Arrangement:

Divided into two subseries:

• Subseries 1: Pre-Immigration Works, 1929-1939
• Subseries 2: Post-Immigration Works, 1939-1962

Scope and Content:

Gertrud Kurth's manuscripts and published articles are in German and English. The manuscripts are divided by subseries chronologically into before and after her immigration to the United States. The material includes articles, short stories, and academic lectures and papers.

Subseries 1: Pre-Immigration Works, 1929-1939.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 consists of Gertrud Kurth's manuscripts, articles and short stories written mostly in German and published in Austria before her emigration to the United States in 1939. Some of her articles are published under her married surname Kieslinger. Folder 1/21 contains her doctoral thesis.

The initial three folders of articles and short stories of this subseries consist of a few fictional pieces as well as extensive non-fiction works. Many of the non-fiction writing appear to be articles for periodicals and newspapers, including reviews, descriptions of Viennese landmarks (such as St. Stephan's Cathedral and the Clock Museum), and several articles on daily life and traditions of people from the Austrian countryside. Kurth's growing interest in anthropological themes and especially popular beliefs in the supernatural is seen through numerous articles, including such topics as the use of fire in Easter traditions, werewolves in popular belief, the history and customs of Walpurgisnacht (Witches' Night on April 30th), the history of All Souls Day around the world, and brownies and other household spirits in German popular belief. Investigations into such topics is also evidenced in Kurth's doctoral thesis Der irdische Aufenthalt und die Erscheinungsform der Toten im europaeischen Volksglauben [The Earthly Residence and the Appearance of the Dead in European Popular Belief].

Subseries 2: Post-Immigration Works, 1939-1962.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 2 consists of Gertrud Kurth's manuscripts and articles which were written and published after her immigration to the United States. This subseries contains manuscripts about psychoanalysis, school term papers (from Gertrud Kurth's studies at the New School and Columbia University), and Gertrud Kurth's published articles and lectures.

The folder of manuscripts holds primarily non-fiction manuscripts and term papers on psychology and psychoanalysis. The Image of the Fuehrer discusses personality cults and the portrayal of greatness in general as well as describing how Adolf Hitler was depicted in the medium of his birthday celebrations in the Völkischer Beobachter. The Anticipation of the Decline of Life as a Function of Psychological Variables was Gertrud Kurth's dissertation at Columbia University. It was sponsored by the Veterans' Administration and delineates the role played by age, culture, socio-economic status, and self-esteem in determining the age at which decline of life is expected to set in. Notes on Psychoanalysis and Race Theory discusses mass movements and group psychology. The folder of published articles includes reviews written by Gertrud Kurth, her letters to editors, and articles about her. The folder on the Brooklyn Outpatient Clinic is a publication of which Gertrud Kurth was an editor. The final folder of this subseries holds an advertisement bulletin in which the photographs were taken by Gertrud Kurth.

Series IV: Published Materials, 1920-1965.

Arrangement:

Divided into two subseries:

• Subseries 1: Clippings and Offprints, 1921-1995
• Subseries 2: School and college bulletins, 1957-1963

Scope and Content:

Series IV contains material collected by Gertrud Kurth and published in newspapers and journals. Subseries 2 is particular to school and college bulletins The publications are in both German and English.

Subseries 1: Clippings and Offprints, 1921-1995.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 holds several folders of clippings and offprints. The first folder contains offprints of a German school newsletter, usually humorous in tone. Other folders hold articles collected on various topics, such as Adolf Hitler or Sigmund Freud. The folder on psychoanalysis contains humorous cartoons and caricatures of psychologists or psychiatrists.

Subseries 2: School and College Bulletins, 1957-1963.

Scope and Content:

This small subseries holds publications of American universities and a Viennese school attended by Gertrud Kurth. The first folder holds a bulletin listing former headmasters/ mistresses of the school as well as teachers and students. The second folder includes a commencement bulletin of Columbia University as well as the college catalog of the City College of New York's Evening Division.

Series V: Family Papers,  1877-1971.

Arrangement:

Divided into two subseries:

• Subseries 1: Immediate Family, 1877-1948
• Subseries 2: Extended Family, 1902-1971

Scope and Content:

Series V contains personal and professional documents of Gertrud Kurth's family members, their personal correspondence, and articles published by them or about them. It also holds obituaries of family members and friends.

Subseries 1: Immediate Family, 1877-1948.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 contains the personal papers of Gertrud Kurth's parents, Bettina (Betty) and Paul Kurth, a history of the Kris family (her mother's family), and some clippings. Among the papers of this subseries are various personal and official documents as well as correspondence.

Included in folder 2/19 are letters Paul Kurth wrote as a child to his mother. Among these are a few examples of his childhood drawings and a poem in French. One for Many (Eine für Viele) was a book written by Betty Kurth under the pseudonym "Vera"; a review of it is available in this subseries.

Subseries 2: Extended Family, 1902-1971.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 2 contains personal documents of other family members, along with newspaper clippings concerning family members and obituaries of Gertrud Kurth's friend Paul Zucker. These last items are kept here in keeping with the original order of the material.

The financial documents folder concerns stocks and bonds held by Nelly Kurth before 1938 in the Polish mining industry. Frida Guthova née Kohn was the younger sister of Paul Kurth. Dr. Ernst Kurth was his younger brother. Marianne and Ernst Kris were cousins of Gertrud Kurth; Ernst Kris was brought up by Paul and Betty Kurth along with Gertrud. Paul Zucker was Gertrud Kurth's friend.

Series VI: Other Papers, undated, 1801?, 1899-1900.

Scope and Content:

Series VI consists of material that did not fit into other series. Drawings and paintings in folder 34 may have been the artwork of Paul Kurth. Folder 35 consists mostly of handwritten scribbles that appear to be creative ideas for writing projects, in addition to receipts and personal notes.

Series VII: Objects, undated.

Scope and Content:

Series VII consists of a few objects. These include a decorative tin, spectacles, and a few unidentified objects.

Series VIII: Visual Material,  1930s?-1990s?.

Arrangement:

By format.

Scope and Content:

The visual material of Series VIII consists of numerous photographs, slides, and negatives. Many of the photographs feature individual family members or friends, while most slides depict various locations, with Israel and Italy among those most often encountered. A few photographs of Sigmund Freud are present, including some with Freud and Gertrud Kurth's cousin, Marianne Kris.