People :
Author : Rosa Luxemburg
Sections (TOC) :
• Letter 1 : Leipzig, July 7, 1916
387 Words; 2,735 Characters
• Letter 2 : Berlin, August 5, 1916
223 Words; 1,456 Characters
Sections (Content) :
• Letter 1 : Leipzig, July 7, 1916
Written: July 1916–October 1918.
First Published: Letters from Prison: by Rosa Luxemberg: with a portrait and a facsimile, Young International at Schönberg in Berlin, 1921–1923.
Source: An exact reproduction by the Square One pamphlets series by the Independent Labor Party in 1972, the notes and translation being the same as in the original 1923 edition.
Translated: (from the German) by Eden and Cedar Paul.
Transcription/Markup: Ted Crawford and Brian Baggins,
Public Domain: Luxemburg Internet Archive 2005. This work is completely free.
These letters are personal rather than political and in 1923, all the proceeds went to the support of Liebknecht’s widow and children. A few of the letters were republished in a new English translation in 1998 by Humanities Press in The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg, edited by Bronner. Two letters, that of May 2 1917 and that of mid-December 1917 were published in The Rosa Luxemburg Reader, Monthly Review, 2004, that of May 2 1917 being a new translation, that of mid December the 1923 one.
Rosa Luxemburg was arrested on July 10th. This postcard is the only one written while Rosa Luxemburg was still at liberty.
My dear little Sonya,[1]
The heat is steamy and oppressive, as it so often is in Leipzig – I find the weather here very trying. This morning I sat for two hours beside the pond in the park, reading The Man of Property.[2]
It’s brilliant. A little old woman sat down beside me, glanced at the title page, and smiled, saying: “That must be a fine book. I am fond of reading myself”. Before I settled down to read, of course I had a good look at the trees and shrubs in the park, and was glad to see that they were all old friends. It is quite different with human beings, for I find that contact with them grows continually more unsatisfying: I think I shall retire into a hermitage, like St. Antony – minus the temptations! Try not to worry.
With much love,
Rosa
Love to the children.
[1] Pet name for Sophie Liebknecht, wife of Karl Liebknecht. R.L. sometimes uses the diminutive form Sonichka. Occasionally it is Sonyusha. Karl Liebknecht, son of Wilhelm Liebknecht, was born in 1871, and was murdered, like R.L., on the night of January 15th, 1919.
[2] John Galsworthy’s novel.
• Letter 2 : Berlin, August 5, 1916
My dear little Sonya,
Today, August 5th, I have just received your two letters; they came together, the one of July 11th (!!) and the one of July 23rd.
You see that the post works more slowly than if I were in New York. But the books you sent me came to hand earlier. Heartfelt thanks for everything. I am so sorry that I had to leave you in your present situation; how I should have liked to stroll with you through the fields once more, or watch the sunset from the bay-window in your kitchen ... Helmi,[3] too sent me a long postcard describing his journey. Thanks so much also for the Hölderlin.[4] But you must not squander so much money on me; I really don’t like it.
Thanks so much for the hamper of good things and for the beans.
Write soon, for then perhaps I shall get another letter before the end of the month. Warmest love. Keep your heart up. You are never out of my thoughts. Much love to Karl and the children.
Your
Rosa
The Pierre Loti[5] is splendid; I haven't read the other books yet.
[3] Helmi and Bobbi (mentioned in the next letter) are the Liebknecht sons.
[4] A German poet, novelist, and translator. Born 1770, died 1843.
[5] Captain in the French navy, born 1850, famous novelist.
Chronology :
March 06, 2021 : Letters from Prison to Sophie Liebknecht -- Added.
January 09, 2022 : Letters from Prison to Sophie Liebknecht -- Updated.
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