Henze | Hitzer

The Hans Werner Henze (1926–2012) and Friedrich Hitzer (1935–2007) Correspondence

Basic information about the correspondence

The correspondence between Friedrich Hitzer and Hans Werner Henze comprises only 15 documents, 6 of which were written by Hitzer and 9 (including 2 telegrams) by Henze. One of the letters was written by Henze’s secretary, Ulrich Jörg Bofinger, another one includes a document. These postal documents date from the years 1969 to 1975. The correspondence language is German, and the letters are preserved both in the Hitzer estate at the Monacensia (Munich City Library) and in the Henze estate at the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel. It is possible that there are further pieces of correspondence and notes on Henze in the publisher’s archive of “kürbiskern” in the German Literature Archive in Marbach, but this could not be verified within the scope of the current work of “Henze digital” due to the large size of this archive.

Writing characteristics of the correspondence partners

Hans Werner Henze preferred to write his letters by hand. However, as some of them were ‘official’ mail and he wanted to keep a copy, one letter from Henze, the surviving document as well as the letter from Henze’s secretary are typewritten. All but one of Hitzer’s letters are typewritten.

Collaborative projects and works that are mentioned in more greater detail in the correspondence

• Planed text by Henze for the “kürbiskern” concerning: Imperialism and Culture (1969)
• Interview with the Münchner Songgruppe (1971)
• Anniversary: 10 Years “kürbiskern” (1975)
• Michel & Rosi (draft to the collective opera Der heiße Ofen (1975)