Bodleian jointly purchases Kafka's Letters to Ottla archive

The Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford and Deutsches Literaturarchiv in Marbach (German Literary Archive) will today announce the joint purchase of a collection of letters by Franz Kafka (1883-1924), one of the most influential writers of the 20th century and one of the fathers of literary modernism. These letters had been scheduled for public auction in Germany on 19 April but an agreement has been reached between the two institutions and the sellers. It is thought to be the first time that a literary archive has been purchased jointly by two institutions in different countries with the intention to share access and scholarly activities. As a result of this historic collaboration the archive will remain available for academic and public consultation as part of the existing major Kafka archives already held by the Bodleian and Marbach. The purchase price will remain confidential. This important series of more than 100 autographs (comprising letters, postcards and picture postcards) contains almost all the surviving correspondence that Kafka sent to his sister Ottla, the youngest of his three sisters and the family member to whom he was closest. It also includes an additional 32 new letters, included by the family in the sale, from Dora Diamant, Kafka's last lover and Robert Klopstock, Kafka's doctor and friend.