Richard Beer-Hofmann Collection
Scope and Content Note
The collection documents the correspondence of Richard Beer-Hofmann and other family members. The collection is divided into three series. The first series is called Beer-Hofmann Family and it primarily consists of correspondence between Richard Beer-Hofmann and several family members like Rosa Beer, Alois Hofmann and Agnes Beer Hofmann. It also contains materials from Katharina and Hermann Hieronymus Beer, such as a journal, visiting cards, clippings and notebooks. Series II is all about Richard Beer-Hofmann and contains correspondence, photographs, title pages of his books, clippings and an inventory list, as well as transcriptions of some correspondence with Alois and Bertha Hofmann and Sigmund and Agnes Beer. Series III includes only materials belonging to Dr. Hermann Hieronymus Beer and an addendum. Oversize materials like a list of photographs, materials about Hermann Hieronymus Beer, documents about estate and house, a diploma and two doctoral certificates can be found in this third series as well. Documents relating to Hermann Hieronymus Beer are arranged in Series I as well as in Series III.
The whole collection is provided with little notes written by Richard Beer-Hofmann and his daughter Miriam. They describe the content of the folders and Richard Beer-Hofmann made a list of the transcript letters with annotations about the important and not so important letters as well. These notes were identified through a verification of the handwritings of Richard and Miriam Beer-Hofmann.
Dates
- Creation: 1706-1995
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1810-1976
Language of Materials
This collection is in German, Yiddish, French and Latin.
Access Information
Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.
Collection is microfilmed — MF 494.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:
Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org
Biographical Note
Richard Beer-Hofmann was born on July 11. 1866. He was the son of Hermann and Rosa Beer. His mother died within a week of his birth and after her death, he was adopted and reared by his uncle and his aunt, Bertha and Alois Hofmann. He spent his early childhood in Brünn (Brno, Czech Republic), where Alois Hofmann owned a textile factory. In 1880 the family moved to Vienna and Richard Beer-Hofmann finished his schooling at the Akademisches Gymnasium. He studied law at the University of Vienna and made his law degree in 1890. Richard Beer-Hofmann had studied law, but he worked as a poet, novelist and dramatist and was one of the most influential members of the circle of Viennese writers known as "Young Vienna". Many of his works deal with Jewish themes and his novel Der Tod Georgs is probably the most representative art nouveau novel in the German language. One edition of this book can be found in this collection. Richard Beer-Hofmann immigrated to the United States via Switzerland in 1939 and he died in New York City on September 26, 1945.
Extent
2.25 Linear Feet (2 OS boxes (5 OS folders) and 1 OSL)
Abstract
The Richard Beer-Hofmann Collection documents the correspondence of Richard Beer-Hofmann and other family members. It contains letters from Ludwig August Frankl, Hermann Struck, Fritz Mauthner, and Hedwig Mauthner. Letters from several family members, for example Katharina, Rosa and Hieronymus Beer, Alois und Bertha Hofmann and Agnes and Sigmund Beer can be found in this collection as well. Photos of Richard and Paula Beer-Hofmann, personal items, transcriptions of correspondence, books, a bible and certificates are held in this collection as well as family trees, drawings and clippings.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series in the following manner:
Other Finding Aids
For details see typewritten 31-page inventory in Box 2 and the handwritten short inventory list in Folder 0 in Box 1.
Microfilm
Most of the collection is on four reels of microfilm [MF 494]:
- Reel 1: 1/1 - 1/9
- Reel 2: 1/10 - 1/21
- Reel 3: 2/1 - 2/21
- Reel 4: 2/22 - 2/29; OS 2
- Reel 5: 1/1 - OSL 22 Excerpts
Some items have not yet been microfilmed, and will be available on the microfilm addenda.
Separated Material
Photographs have been removed to the LBI Photograph Collection. Box containing metal stamps has been removed to the LBI Art and Object Collection. The book Die Feldzüge Napoleons has been removed to the LBI Library.
A little book-shaped box containing metal stamps (Lederkästchen mit Stempel in Buchform) has been removed to the Arts and Objects Collection.
Processing Information
A former inventory existed for the collection, with some arrangement of topics or formats by box. In preparation of the EAD finding aid, the previous inventory was reviewed and analyzed to identify existing series. These series were maintained in the new finding aid with the exception of photographs, which were removed to the LBI Photograph Collection at an earlier date.
Subject
- Beer-Hofmann, Richard, 1866-1945 (Person)
- Mauthner, Fritz, 1849-1923 (Person)
- Struck, Hermann, 1876-1944 (Person)
- Beer, H. (Hermann), 1798-1873 (Person)
- Hofmann, Albert, 1800-1856 (Person)
- Hofmann, Alois (Person)
- Hofmann, Anna, 1807-1868 (Person)
- Hofmann, Bertha (Person)
- Steckerl, Sophie (Person)
Genre / Form
- Albums (books)
- Certificates
- clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- manuscripts (documents)
- Official documents
- Photographs
- Poetry
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of Richard Beer-Hofmann (1866-1945) 1706-1995 AR 745 / MF 494
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Nicole Kneisz
- Date
- © 2010
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Edition statement
- This version was derived from Richard_Beer-Hoffmann.xml
Revision Statements
- February 2011:: Links to digital objects added in Container List.
- December 3, 2014:: Remaining links to digital objects added in Container List.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
