Beschreibung:

Freud, Sigmund AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ("SIGM. FREUD"), TO STEFAN ZWEIG, REFLECTING ON HIS OWN SIGNIFICANCE, FOLLOWING HIS EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY stating that before replying he read his letter again and quite forgot it was written by a master of style, so truthful did it come across, noting that it almost convinced him of his significance, explaining that although he has no doubts about the truth of his theories, he finds it difficult to believe that they will exercise a demonstrable influence on the near future, seeing himself as much less important as he represents him, observing that his address, written with Thomas Mann, and Mann's Vienna talk were the two experiences which were able to reconcile him to having become so old, commenting that, although his home life is unusually happy, and he has a daughter, particularly, who lives up to all the expectations of a father, he cannot quite get used to the pitifulness and helplessness of old age, viewing the passage into non-existence with a kind of longing; in a final paragraph Freud notes that the exceptional status he has assigned him will then [with his death] come to an end, observing humorously that in the gallery of remarkable people set up by him, which he jokingly refers to as his panopticon, he is certainly not the most interesting person, but he is at least the only one who is actually alive ...Vor der Beantwortung habe ich Ihren Brief wieder gelesen. Ich konnte vergessen, daß ein Meister des Stils ihn geschrieben hat. Er klingt so einfach wahrhaft. Er hätte mich beinahe von meiner Bedeutung überzeugt. Nicht, daß ich am Wahrheitsgehalt meiner Lehren selbst zweifelte, aber es fällt mir schwer zu glauben, daß sie einen nachweisbaren Einfluß auf die Entwicklung der näheren Zukunft aüssern könnten. So komme ich mir viel weniger wichtig vor, als Sie mich darstellen... 2 pages, 4to, on stationery printed "Prof. Dr. Freud Wien, IX., Berggasse 19.", autograph envelope, [Vienna,] Strassergasse 47, 18 May 1936, horizontal fold