The secret correspondence between Bachmann and Böll revealed!

The secret correspondence between Bachmann and Böll revealed!

The publication of the correspondence between Ingeborg Bachmann and Heinrich Böll once again caused excitement in the literary landscape. The volume, edited by Renate Langer, sheds light on the special friendship and dialogue between the two important authors, who met in May 1952 during a meeting of Group 47 in Niendorf on the Baltic Sea. In his foreword, Hans Höller describes correspondence as a way of avoiding personal conflicts, which was essential for both writers in order to maintain their self-respect and master the challenges of the literary world. Both authors, caught up in their own worries, discuss the question “What do we do with our lives?” in their 122 pieces of correspondence - 58 letters from Bachmann and 64 from Böll.

Bachmann's first letter to Böll, written in December 1952, is a reply to a lost letter from Böll. In this correspondence, not only the mutual appreciation becomes clear, but also the existential insecurity that both writers felt. Böll, who was nine years older, struggled with family and financial concerns, while Bachmann strived for independence despite her talents. Without delving into private revelations or poetological debates, the correspondence nevertheless illuminates profound themes that shaped the lives and work of both authors.

A literary friendship documented

Although the friendship between Bachmann and Böll is less well known than their respective relationships with other literary greats, their letters capture a valuable part of their literary development. In biographies of both authors, the other is usually only mentioned in passing, so this correspondence is considered a rare and worthwhile source of research and understanding. The publication of the correspondence also offers an insight into the personal thoughts of the two writers, far away from their better-known affairs and friendships with others, such as Max Frisch, Paul Celan and Hans Magnus Enzensberger.

The last letter from Böll included in the volume, an invitation to a conference in July 1972, marks an important turn in the correspondence. Almost a year later, on October 17, 1973, Böll received news of Bachmann's death. The pain and tenderness that Böll expresses in his obituary for “Der Spiegel” are also part of the new volume and illustrate the deep connection between these two extraordinary figures in German-language literature. This obituary bridges the gap between friendship and loss and completes the documentation of a unique literary relationship.

In addition to the letters by Bachmann and Böll, other important works are also referred to in the literary world. The newly published text “A Place for Coincidences” by Bachmann, described as one of her most daring and experimental, and the publication on Hugo Ball's Dada legacy show the diversity in German-language literary discourse and the continued relevance of Bachmann and Böll's work within this context.

The editing and publication of these letters not only underlines the friendship between Bachmann and Böll, but also the complexity of their artistic and existential challenges, which ultimately linked the two together.