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Letter from Herbert Liebermann to Max Stern
Excerpt from a letter from Herbert Liebermann in Amsterdam, a friend
and lawyer who advised Max Stern on how to get his property out of Germany,
to Stern's sister Hedi in London, 31 October 1937 (pages VII-VIII):
(letter is in the Dominion Gallery archives, National Gallery, Ottawa)
Du enthältst morgen zwei Aufstellungen über vorhandene Bücher
und Kataloge, und zwar von der hiesigen Firma Parindus. Max bittet Dich,
die Aufstellungen genau zu prüfen und ihn wissen zu lassen, ob
die aufgeführten Sachen alle mitgenommen werden sollen.
In einem der beiden Bücher liegt eine Zeichnung der vorhandenen
Zeiss-Aufbauschränke mit Angabe der Höhe, Breite und Tiefe.
Max möchte wissen, ob die Schränke dort untergestellt werden
können (Keller?). Wie Du aus den Vermerken auf den Zeichnungen
ersehen willst, sind die [page VIII.] aufgezeichneten Schränke
alle voll Bücher. Für die sonst noch vorhandenen Bücher
und Kataloge müssten weitere Schränke angeschafft bzw. von
Koetschau übernommen werden.
Translation:
Tomorrow you will receive two lists of the extant books and catalogues,
namely from the local Parindus Company. Max asks you to check the lists
carefully and let him know whether the things listed in them should
all be taken along.
In one of the two books is a drawing of the existent Zeiss unit assembly
bookshelves, providing their height, width and depth. Max would like
to know whether the bookshelves could be stored there (cellar?). As
you will see from the notes on the drawings, [page VIII.] the shelves
shown are all full of books. For any other books and catalogues that
there may be, more bookshelves would have to be purchased or taken over
from Koetschau.
Perhaps Herbert Liebermann was sending these lists via the Parindus
transport and storage firm in Amsterdam for reasons of secrecy. Or perhaps
the books and shelves were already in Amsterdam. It is not clear where
Max Stern wants to know whether there is room, whether in Hedi's apartment
or in their West's Galleries. In any case, the letter documents that
along with the books Stern also acquired bookshelves from Koetschau.
These two lists are probably two of the three typed lists, one of books,
one of auction sales and the third of exhibition catalogues, now kept
in the Dominion Gallery archives at the National Gallery in Ottawa.
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