Arthur Schnitzler - Critical Edition - Early Works IV

The works of Arthur Schnitzler (18621931), a classic of Viennese modernism, were only published in reading editions, i.e. reproductions of their (first) prints, until 2011. Their genesis could not be traced, although Schnitzer kept a large number of manuscripts, from drafts and first elaborations up to the final version. This was due on the one hand to his nearly illegible handwriting, and on the other to the intricate situation of his estate: in 1938, after the so-called "Anschluss" to Nazi Germany, Schnitzler`s left papers were transferred to England to the Cambridge University Library for safekeeping. The majority of the work manuscripts are still there. Schnitzler`s son later entrusted the diary and correspondence to the German Literature Archive in Marbach; further parts of the literary remains are kept in Exeter, Geneva, Jerusalem and elsewhere. Therefore, scientifically, a historical-critical edition documenting the genetic stages of the works was imperative, especially since the reading texts published by Fischer-Verlag are severely unreliable due to various proceedings of correction and editing. Three preliminary projects (20102014, 20142018, 20182021) have undertaken research on Schnitzler`s early works (18891904). Thus far, twelve volumes have been published by De Gruyter, including such prominent texts as "Anatol", "Liebelei" and "Reigen"; three further volumes are currently in print or in preparation for print. Since 2018, in addition to the print edition, the e-books produced by de Gruyter have also been made available in open access. The edition presents all preserved textual witnesses to the respective work, such as handwritten drafts, various stages of genesis or elaboration. These are reproduced as facsimiles or as digital copies in their original size. Next to each, the transcriptions, i.e. the deciphered versions of the manuscript, are provided. In addition, the volumes contain a reading text, usually based on the very first print (whether as a book or in a journal); if later editions still show alterations, this is documented up to the last version still checked and revised by Schnitzler himself. Furthermore, an introduction to the history of genesis and printing is given; a commentary explains historical, cultural and literary contexts or specifically Austrian or obsolete use of language. The new project aims to publish eight stories that appeared in 1905 and 1907 in the volumes "Die griechische Tänzerin" and "Dämmerseelen". It is precisely these texts, some of which were written much earlier, such as the masterful novella "Der blinde Geronimo und sein Bruder", that show Schnitzler`s psychological narrative art, which was already recognized by his contemporaries. With the completion of this project, all early prose texts published in book editions during Schnitzler`s lifetime will have been edited in historical-critical terms.