ALS in German, signed “Freud,” one page both sides, 5.25 x 3.5, personal letterhead, December 14, 1930. Letter to poet Walter Philipp. In part (translated): “I am tardy in thanking you for your friendly transmission. The verses are beautiful, the thoughts lucid and pure. The bombastic grandiloquence that usually characterizes youthful productions has been consistently avoided.” A few trivial areas of surface loss and adhesive remnants (affecting no writing), and a crease to the right side, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed in Freud’s hand, as well as a softcover 1937 edition of Philipp’s poetry book entitled Im Zwielicht.
Since his schoolboy days in Vienna, literature played an important part in Freud’s education and life, providing him with early insight into his developing understanding of human psychology. Always a voracious reader, he maintained friendships with a number of literary figures and always welcomed new contributions, though he was frequently unimpressed with the “bombastic grandiloquence” of new writers. This letter, thanking Walter Philipp for his new verses, carries a genuine complimentary tone that reflects the values most important in Freud’s own writing—“The verses are beautiful, the thoughts lucid and pure.” A crisply penned letter from the always desirable father of psychoanalysis. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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