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Crossing Paths: A Tribute to Edward Timms

2007; Modern Humanities Research Association; Volume: 15; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/aus.2007.0010

2222-4262

Murray G. Hall,

German Literature and Culture Studies

Crossing Paths A Tribute toEdward Timms MURRAY G. HALL Anyone wanting to delve into Austrian cultural and/or literary history of the turn of the century or the inter-war years will, sooner or later, stumble upon the name of Edward Timms. If we look at the various special bibliographies, one thing stands out. It would seem that 'outsiders', in the sense of 'non-Austrians', are generally the only ones able or in a position to see the wider picture and present it to readers in a cohesive overview. Edward Timms is a shining example of this. It must have been in the first half of the 1980s that Edward and I got to know one another. I had just brought out ? in 1985 ? a two volume history of publishing inAustria in the inter-war years, and in the following year Edward invited me to take part in a symposium entitled 'Freud in London ? Psychoanalysis in Transition'. Given the ambience, the topic of my paper was rather mundane: the history of Freud's publishing company 'Internationaler Psychoanalytischer Verlag', but for Edward itwas important that this particular aspect of Freud's work be covered. Another point of common interest were the? still privately owned ? literary estates of Austrian writers. One thing leads to another among scholars. In Edward's case, itwas only a short step from Karl Kraus, who continued to interest, indeed fascinate him, to Freud and psychoanalysis and from there to Fritz Wittels and to the model for the 'Kindweib', Irma Karczewska. But these names stand for a bigger picture which emerges when one examines what one might call the inter-relations or the interaction between the cultural, literary and political figures in Austria especially from the turn of the century to the annexation of Austria inMarch 1938. It was Edward who came up with an equally fascinating and bold theory of how spheres sectors of Austrian society intersected ? something we talked about on numerous occasions. This theory is all mirrored in Edward's publications, first and foremost in his 'life's work', the two volumes devoted to Karl Kraus. Another topic of common interest was David Josef Bach, head of the Social Democratic Kunststelle inVienna. On the occasion of Bach's fiftieth birthday in 1924, well-wishers had presented 6 Crossing Paths him with a 'Geschenkkassette' [Portfolio of Tributes]. Identifying the 'well-wishers', not all of whom have been eulogized in cultural or literary histories, became a fascinating undertaking, leading even deeper into the strata of Viennese society. We exchanged information off and on about various individuals, and the project finally came to fruition when a descriptive catalogue of the tributes, co-authored by Edward, formed the centrepiece of Austrian Studies, 14: Culture and Politics inRed Vienna (2006). Edward has been a regular visitor to Vienna ? a city that, for more than forty years, has been a home away from home for him. He has come to give lectures, do research or receive a well-deserved honour. I always looked forward to getting together with him in a Viennese coffee house. It was always interesting to discuss each other's current projects, trade insights into the idiosyncrasies and oddities ofAustrian domestic politics, talk about conferences we had been invited to and, in this connection, the curious way inwhich 'Austrian' speakers were chosen to participate, or even to go on an outing in the Vienna Woods, strolling from the Kahlenberg to the Leopoldsberg and back. On occasion we have also stopped off at my place where my wife prepared coffee with whipped cream and, fittingly, homemade Apfelstrudel. It remains a standing invitation, and I want to wish my friend and colleague Edward all the best. ...