entschuldigen Sie die verspätete Antwort, ich war in Österreich, Bundesrepublik und Frankreich und fange hier wieder an, meine Sachen zu ordnen und zu arbeiten. Sie bekommen bald einen ausführlichen Brief[1] von mir. Über Atempause ist noch nicht entschieden, aber ich bin skeptisch, obschon ich darum kämpfen werde! Ist das ein Mensch wird erscheinen, ich soll bis 1. Mai ein Nachwort[2]liefern. Ich begrüße Sie sehr herzlich und würde mich freuen, bald Ihre Bekanntschaft zu machen. Ich fahre mit meinem Sohn im Juli nach Holland und Spanien, vielleicht kann ich am Rückweg zwei Stunden bei Ihnen zubringen?[3] Sie hören bald mehr von mir.[4]
Herzlichst
Fred Wander
Fred Wander
2601 Koppelow
DDR
2 aprile 1981
Caro Primo Levi,
mi scusi se Le rispondo con tanto ritardo. Sono stato in Austria, nella Repubblica Federale Tedesca e in Francia; ora sono di nuovo qui e sto ricominciando a mettere ordine nelle mie cose e a lavorare. Presto riceverà una mia lettera più lunga.[1] Per quanto riguarda La tregua, non è stata ancora presa una decisione, ma sono piuttosto scettico, anche se continuerò a battermi perché venga pubblicato! Se questo è un uomoinvece, uscirà; entro il 1° maggio dovrò consegnare una postfazione.[2] La saluto con grande cordialità e mi farebbe molto piacere conoscerla di persona. A luglio andrò in Olanda e in Spagna con mio figlio; che ne dice se al ritorno mi fermassi un paio d’ore da Lei?[3] Avrà presto mie notizie.[4]
Con i miei saluti più cari,
Fred Wander
Fred Wander 2601 Koppelow DDR
April 2, 1981
Dear Primo Levi,
Please excuse the delayed reply; I was in Austria, West Germany, and France, and am only now sorting my things out and getting back to work here. You shall receive a detailed letter[1] from me soon. No decision has been made yet regarding The Truce, but I am skeptical, although I certainly will fight for it! If This is a Man is set to be published, and I am supposed to submit an afterword[2] by May 1. I send you my warmest regards and would be delighted to meet you in person soon. I am traveling with my son to the Netherlands and Spain in July—perhaps I could spend a couple of hours with you on the way back?[3] I will be in touch again soon.[4]
Sincerely
Fred Wander
Fred Wander
2601 Koppelow
DDR
2. April 1981
Lieber Primo Levi,
entschuldigen Sie die verspätete Antwort, ich war in Österreich, Bundesrepublik und Frankreich und fange hier wieder an, meine Sachen zu ordnen und zu arbeiten. Sie bekommen bald einen ausführlichen Brief[1] von mir. Über Atempause ist noch nicht entschieden, aber ich bin skeptisch, obschon ich darum kämpfen werde! Ist das ein Mensch wird erscheinen, ich soll bis 1. Mai ein Nachwort[2]liefern. Ich begrüße Sie sehr herzlich und würde mich freuen, bald Ihre Bekanntschaft zu machen. Ich fahre mit meinem Sohn im Juli nach Holland und Spanien, vielleicht kann ich am Rückweg zwei Stunden bei Ihnen zubringen?[3] Sie hören bald mehr von mir.[4]
Herzlichst
Fred Wander
Fred Wander
2601 Koppelow
DDR
2 aprile 1981
Caro Primo Levi,
mi scusi se Le rispondo con tanto ritardo. Sono stato in Austria, nella Repubblica Federale Tedesca e in Francia; ora sono di nuovo qui e sto ricominciando a mettere ordine nelle mie cose e a lavorare. Presto riceverà una mia lettera più lunga.[1] Per quanto riguarda La tregua, non è stata ancora presa una decisione, ma sono piuttosto scettico, anche se continuerò a battermi perché venga pubblicato! Se questo è un uomoinvece, uscirà; entro il 1° maggio dovrò consegnare una postfazione.[2] La saluto con grande cordialità e mi farebbe molto piacere conoscerla di persona. A luglio andrò in Olanda e in Spagna con mio figlio; che ne dice se al ritorno mi fermassi un paio d’ore da Lei?[3] Avrà presto mie notizie.[4]
Con i miei saluti più cari,
Fred Wander
Fred Wander 2601 Koppelow DDR
April 2, 1981
Dear Primo Levi,
Please excuse the delayed reply; I was in Austria, West Germany, and France, and am only now sorting my things out and getting back to work here. You shall receive a detailed letter[1] from me soon. No decision has been made yet regarding The Truce, but I am skeptical, although I certainly will fight for it! If This is a Man is set to be published, and I am supposed to submit an afterword[2] by May 1. I send you my warmest regards and would be delighted to meet you in person soon. I am traveling with my son to the Netherlands and Spain in July—perhaps I could spend a couple of hours with you on the way back?[3] I will be in touch again soon.[4]
Sincerely
Fred Wander
Info
Notes
Tag
Sender: Fred Wander
Addressee: Primo Levi
Date of Drafting: 1981-04-02
Place of Writing: East Berlin
Description: typewritten letter on white paper with handwritten underlining in blue fountain pen and black ballpoint pen, and a handwritten signature in blue ballpoint pen, mm250x210.
Archive: Archivio privato di Primo Levi, Turin
Series: Corrispondenza, Corrispondenza generale, fascicolo 12, sottofascicolo 21, f. 466.
Folio: 1, front only
DOI:
1“Sie bekommen bald einen ausführlichen Brief” (“You shall receive a detailed letter from me soon”) is underlined by hand in black ballpoint pen.
2
“Nachwort” (“afterword”) is underlined by hand in blue fountain pen. Wander’s reader’s report is dated 9/9/1980 and can be found in Joachim Meinert, “Geschichte eines Verbots,” Sinn und Form, 2/2000, pp. 168-173. After evaluating the book in enthusiastic terms, the author declared his willingness to write a comment; Aufbau commissioned him to do so, first for Ist das ein Mensch? and a short while later for Atempause, as well. Wander chose to formulate the comment-afterword as a letter by integrating a few passages from actual letters he had exchanged with Levi, along the lines of the successful editorial practice that had marked Fischer’s publication of Ist das ein Mensch?, in which an excerpt of one of Levi’s letters to his translator was used as the book’s introduction. Levi repeatedly asked Wander if he might read the text, which is now, in fact, in the archive along with his correspondence with Wander. However, it is not clear whether it was sent as an enclosure with one of Wander’s letters or whether Levi received it by other means. In any case, the text of the afterword is published here with the last letter (Letter 207).
3
Most likely, this meeting never took place.
4
“hören bald mehr von mir” (“I will be in touch again soon”) is underlined by hand in black ballpoint pen.
