Davidovic congratulates Levi for having been awarded the Bagutta Prize, which he read about in the German press. He has sent a copy of Die Atempause to his former prison companion, Schmul Stern.
25.1.1967
Lieber Primo!
In der Hamburger WELT[1] habe ich eine Notiz gelesen, daß Du mit dem Bagutta-Literaturpreis ausgezeichnet wurdest.[2] Ich habe mich dazu sehr gefreut und ich gratuliere Dir auch im Namen meiner Frau aufs herzlichste.
Wir hoffen, daß auch sonst bei Euch alles in Ordnung ist, daß die ganze Familie wohlauf sich befindet. Bei uns ist Gott sei Dank alles in Ordnung.
Unsere Tochter studiert in New York in der Yeshiwa University (Stern College) und unser Sohn wird wahrscheinlich anfang Juni nach Kanada auswandern, denn die jüdische Jugend hat hier keine Zukunft.
Vom 20.12.66 – 17.1.67[3] war ich zur Kur in einem Kneippkurort in Berlebur[4]Ich glaube, daß ich mich ganz gut erholt habe. Die Kur zahlte natürlich die Wiedergutmachung.[5] Wie stehst Du mit der Wiedergutmachung?
Dein Buch habe ich auch Stern nach Israel geschickt. Er hat sich sehr gefreut es zu lesen.
Mit den herzlichsten Grüßen von Familie zu Familie
Dein
EmD
(Emil Davidovic)
25 gennaio 1967
Caro Primo,
ho letto sulla «Welt» di Amburgo[1] che ti è stato conferito il premio letterario Bagutta.[2] Ne sono molto felice e ti porgo, anche a nome di mia moglie, le mie più vive congratulazioni.
Speriamo che anche per il resto da voi vada tutto bene e che la famiglia goda di buona salute. Da noi, grazie a Dio, è tutto a posto.
Nostra figliastudia a New York alla Yeshiva University (Stern College), e nostro figlio probabilmente emigrerà in Canada all’inizio di giugno, perché la gioventù ebrea qui non ha futuro.
Dal 20 dicembre 1966 al 17 gennaio 1967[3] sono stato a fare le cure termali in una stazione dove si pratica il metodo Kneipp, a Berlebur[4] Credo di essermi ripreso piuttosto bene. Naturalmente il soggiorno terapeutico è stato pagato dal risarcimento per le vittime delle persecuzioni naziste.[5] E tu con il risarcimento a che punto sei?
Ho mandato il tuo libro anche a Stern, in Israele. Era molto contento di poterlo leggere.
Con i più cordiali saluti da una famiglia all’altra
Tuo
(Emil Davidovic)
January 25, 1967
Dear Primo!
I have read a brief article in the Hamburg newspaper Die Welt[1] stating that you were awarded the Bagutta Literary Prize.[2] I was very pleased to hear this, and send my warmest congratulations, on behalf of my wife as well.
We hope that everything else is going well for you and that the whole family is in good health. Here, thank God, everything is fine.
Our daughter is studying at Yeshiva University (Stern College) in New York, and our son will likely emigrate to Canada in early June, since the Jewish youth has no future here.
From December 20, 1966 to January 17, 1967[3]I was at a Kneipp health resort in Berleburg[4]for a course of treatment. I think it helped my recovery quite a lot. Of course, reparations paid for the treatment.[5] How are reparations going for you?
I have also sent your bookto Stern in Israel. He was thrilled to read it.
With warmest regards from our family to your family,
Yours
(Emil Davidovic)
25.1.1967
Lieber Primo!
In der Hamburger WELT[1] habe ich eine Notiz gelesen, daß Du mit dem Bagutta-Literaturpreis ausgezeichnet wurdest.[2] Ich habe mich dazu sehr gefreut und ich gratuliere Dir auch im Namen meiner Frau aufs herzlichste.
Wir hoffen, daß auch sonst bei Euch alles in Ordnung ist, daß die ganze Familie wohlauf sich befindet. Bei uns ist Gott sei Dank alles in Ordnung.
Unsere Tochter studiert in New York in der Yeshiwa University (Stern College) und unser Sohn wird wahrscheinlich anfang Juni nach Kanada auswandern, denn die jüdische Jugend hat hier keine Zukunft.
Vom 20.12.66 – 17.1.67[3] war ich zur Kur in einem Kneippkurort in Berlebur[4]Ich glaube, daß ich mich ganz gut erholt habe. Die Kur zahlte natürlich die Wiedergutmachung.[5] Wie stehst Du mit der Wiedergutmachung?
Dein Buch habe ich auch Stern nach Israel geschickt. Er hat sich sehr gefreut es zu lesen.
Mit den herzlichsten Grüßen von Familie zu Familie
Dein
EmD
(Emil Davidovic)
25 gennaio 1967
Caro Primo,
ho letto sulla «Welt» di Amburgo[1] che ti è stato conferito il premio letterario Bagutta.[2] Ne sono molto felice e ti porgo, anche a nome di mia moglie, le mie più vive congratulazioni.
Speriamo che anche per il resto da voi vada tutto bene e che la famiglia goda di buona salute. Da noi, grazie a Dio, è tutto a posto.
Nostra figliastudia a New York alla Yeshiva University (Stern College), e nostro figlio probabilmente emigrerà in Canada all’inizio di giugno, perché la gioventù ebrea qui non ha futuro.
Dal 20 dicembre 1966 al 17 gennaio 1967[3] sono stato a fare le cure termali in una stazione dove si pratica il metodo Kneipp, a Berlebur[4] Credo di essermi ripreso piuttosto bene. Naturalmente il soggiorno terapeutico è stato pagato dal risarcimento per le vittime delle persecuzioni naziste.[5] E tu con il risarcimento a che punto sei?
Ho mandato il tuo libro anche a Stern, in Israele. Era molto contento di poterlo leggere.
Con i più cordiali saluti da una famiglia all’altra
Tuo
(Emil Davidovic)
January 25, 1967
Dear Primo!
I have read a brief article in the Hamburg newspaper Die Welt[1] stating that you were awarded the Bagutta Literary Prize.[2] I was very pleased to hear this, and send my warmest congratulations, on behalf of my wife as well.
We hope that everything else is going well for you and that the whole family is in good health. Here, thank God, everything is fine.
Our daughter is studying at Yeshiva University (Stern College) in New York, and our son will likely emigrate to Canada in early June, since the Jewish youth has no future here.
From December 20, 1966 to January 17, 1967[3]I was at a Kneipp health resort in Berleburg[4]for a course of treatment. I think it helped my recovery quite a lot. Of course, reparations paid for the treatment.[5] How are reparations going for you?
I have also sent your bookto Stern in Israel. He was thrilled to read it.
With warmest regards from our family to your family,
Yours
(Emil Davidovic)
Info
Notes
Tag
Sender: Emil Davidovič
Addressee: Primo Levi
Date of Drafting: 1967-01-25
Place of Writing: Dortmund
Description:typewritten letter on letterhead paper with handwritten signature in black ballpoint pen.
Archive: Archivio privato di Primo Levi, Turin
Series: Corrispondenza, Corrispondenti particolari, fascicolo 22, sottofascicolo 1, f. 11.
1On January 17, 1967, the “culture news” column (“Kulturnotizien”) on page 8 of Die Welt reported: “In Milan, the Bagutta Prize was awarded to the Turinese author Primo Levi for his short story collection Natural Histories. He wrote the book under the pseudonym Damiano Malabaila” (“Mit dem Bagutta-Literaturpreis wurde in Mailand der Schriftsteller Primo Levi aus Turin für seinen Erzählband Storie Naturali (Naturalistische Geschichten) ausgezeichnet. Das Buch hat er unter dem Pseudonym Damiano Malabaila geschrieben”).
2On January 14, 1967, Levi was awarded the Bagutta Prize in Milan for Natural Histories (published the year before under the pseudonym Damiano Malabaila). The German translation by Heinz Riedt was published in 1968 by the publishing company Wagner with the title Die Verdopplung einer schönen Dame und andere Überraschungen.
3One of the numbers of the date has been retyped; it is impossible to establish whether 16 or 17 is the correct day.
4There is a lacuna at the end of the sheet, probably “Berleburg.”
5TheWest German Federal Indemnification Law for the victims of Nazi persecution (known as the Bundesentschädigungsgesetz) was approved on September 18, 1953 and was emended for the last time in 1965. The reparations (Wiedergutmachung) also regarded “damages to the body or the health” and, thus, covered reimbursement for medical treatment (§28 ff.). For more information, cf. H. Günter Hockerts, “Wiedergutmachung. Ein umstrittener Begriff und ein weites Feld,” in Nach der Verfolgung. Wiedergutmachung nationalsozialistischen Unrechts in Deutschland?, edited by H. Günter Hockerts and C. Kuller, Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, 2006, pp. 7-34.
