"hot-headed, enchanting, strange, unsettling letters."

How did Kafka's relationship with Felice Bauer influence his writings at the time? Can we get a better picture of emotions that are prevalent throughout his writing, fear of intimacy, self-sabotage, anxiety, through these letters to Felice?

How did Freud's earlier research contribute to and shape what became of his research into parricide and what is now known as modern Freudianism?

Monte Verita was where a group of "free-thinkers, free spirits, and nudists" gather to do exercises, yoga and physiotherapy.

Two art studios in Vienna also were of note.

Egon Schieles were sensual and of a new style called "New Objectivity". They were strained and distorted, but still distinctly sexual.

Gustav Klimt's, however, were more soft and sensual as opposed to the more rugged/intense style of Schieles.

"The most erotic city in the world"

Definitely a little bit more unusual then I was expected, but perhaps experiences so far on the other end of the spectrum is what is needed to break through the prudeness of the era, and is what led to his breakthroughs in views on women and sexuality.

"[he] is still living with his mother at the age of fifty-one... half a dozen naked women or girls are walking about, stretching, lazing around, waiting until he summons them with a little wave of his hand. He wears nothing under his apron, so that he can take it off quickly when desire overwhelsm him... But he's home with Mum on the dot for dinnertime, or else he goes to the theatre with Emilie Floge" (Illies 96).

If I were to picture men who began shifting the cultures views on women and sexuality through nude artwork, I would more imagine one like Klimt and artwork like Klimt's, this definitely shows his more traditional or "usual" and "healthy" relationships influence the style of his paintings.

It's interesting how well Illies' is able to characterize Kafka, despite not being written from his perspective at all, but this quote I think almost perfectly captures his essence, the longing, the anxiety, the unsuredness with which he thinks, the constamt mental turmoil he faces.

I wonder if she shares Kafka's eccentricity and anxiety in relationships, and if theres anything that can shed light on that.

After doing some research, it looks like there really isn't much.

As we have seen, Kafka often references her responses in his letters, but there is nothing really saved or recorded that came from her, and although she did speak about him publicly at times, she never really shared much information about her relationship with him.

Later in life it seems she married a banker and ran a store that sold knitting.

Got cheated on by his lover and then ended up with her friend, who he went on to rename Eva.

Inspired his move from the "first phase of Cubism and a move to Synthetic Cubism" (Illies 105).

His relationship seems to be a lot healthier than I had first initially suspected due to the nature of its starting.

Paternal relationships are always such a point of interest. Why are complex and tumultuous relationships so common for those who achieve greantess?

I really love this piece, something about the way its angled and flowing upward really seems to capture this sense of sensuality and togetherness. Like their entire beings are about to float off together.

I love this quote, not too sure yet why.

His anxieties and mental turmoil seems neverending, the more i read the more it fits in the same picture of what I thought it to be, but still can never really truly understand the depths of it.

"He is given a choice between flowers and vegetables. Of course, Kafka chooses the vegetables" (Illies 135).

"Austro-Hungary doesn't have a chance against the attack from the French... at the final of the Madrid tennis tournament" (Illies 142).

I think I've always underestimated the amount art plays in characterizing a time period. You can look at technological advancements, at buildings, at infrastructure, but without seeing the media built by the people, you can never really feel a time period.

Illies' does a great job at making me feel liek I'm discovering what it would be like to live in 1913.

Not too long ago, millions of different phenomena were thought to simply be actions of gods or just accepted to be the way the world is, and in not much time, we have come to understand a reason for nearly every single physical phenomena, whether it being why the tides come in and out, or why lightning strikes, or why the planets make such interesting patterns across the sky from our perspective. I know there is still much that is not understood, but the idea of accepting something for the way it is is much less common.

'men afraid of too much femininity - Rainer Maria Rilke and Franz Kafka" (Illies 150).

These both give us interesting context on Marc's personal life, although it does not say much about him himself, just that he was taking long intervals to respond to her. I wonder if we can get more in depth context on his romantic relationship with his wife, and if that can give us any insight into his artwork and philosophies.

https://allpoetry.com/Else_Lasker-Schuler

Out of the few poems I have read, I really like "An old Tibetan carpet".

I think I just really like how it showcases the feeling of being interwoven with someone. Likening it to the threads on a rug, it reminds me a lot of the Camille Claudel sculpture I referenced here. The same idea that it conveys some sense of interwoven, deeper type of linking, of two people becoming one.

I wonder what interactions warrant this, is it simply that he truly does not appreciate her work, or is it a clash of personalities?

Always in awe of how interconnected these big names were during this time period.

"City is frozen in shock" (Illies 159), I wonder if there are more personal accounts of the betrayal and more on his relationships with others at the time

The root cause that initially sparked his journey into spying for Russia was two fold: money problems, and homosexuality. He was already struggling with money to uphold type of life that was typical of an officer, while also needing to pay an essentially pretend wife to hide his homosexuality.

Once the Russians learned of this they sought him as a vulnerable target and made him their spy.

A young man who continued straining Redl's finances.

Redl was eventually transferred to Prague and had trained a man named Ronge to take over his post. At some point in the future Hromodka insinuated that he would break off from Redl and marry someone else, and as is so common in history and fiction, Redl's lover indirectly resulted in his downfall. After rushing back to Vienna to speak with Hromodka, he picked up some letters waiting for him under an alias, and was immediately caught by his successor Ronge as the spy he had been staking out.

So interest

It says that Franz Ferdinand was not invited due to his "unsuitable bride" (Illies 172).

After doing a little bit of research (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie,_Duchess_of_Hohenberg)

it seems to be ebcause of the fact that she is not of royal blood, rendering their marriage a "morganatic" marriage, and stripping their children of any inheritance. I understand that it was pretty important for both parties to be of equal class, but I thought by the early 20th century this wasn't still such an important factor in societal acceptance.

His desire to be beat during sexual activities is also interesting and seems to be pretty fitting with his relationship with Alma. He desires more and more and just wants to be able to feel a type of intensity it seems she cannot give him.

But what is considered provocation? Is it the taking of something you ahve, or is it not letting someone take what you have? What if I want something only someone else has, how far does one go being "nice" to an agressor?

Very haunting look on his face, apt name. It's almost as if you can feel what he's feeling, that sinking stomach, the closing throat, the emotional sickness.

"lays his fountain pen aside. The enchanted mountain will have to wait. He writes to his lawyer, instructing him to pressurize the rug trader into paying up" (Illies 188).

As I read this I wonder if we will ever hear of this tale again, "The Enchanted Mountain", I have never heard of it, but I also have not heard of 99% of the works mentioned in this book, will the story be written once the rug problem is sorted, or did the story end right there, with his pen laid down on the table.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/05/25/first-school-shooting-louisville-ward-butler/

Seems like there was one all the way in 1857 in the U.S.

"You died in battle / as a loyal German man" (Illies 202).

As before, Illies way of contextualizing the small details of prominent figures always intrigues me and it is nice to hear about the small details, romanticizing the mundane.

"Macke even uses a notebook with a few lecture notes by Ernst as a sketchbook" (Illies 209).

I was curious on what this piece looked like after reading that it was described as showing "nothingness" (Illies 210).

It is quite strange, it feels almost alien, the color of the sky, the stark contrast between the sunlit parts of the building and the shadowed, along with the length and angle of the shadows themselves. Its empty, two people alone in the field of what looks like a plaza that should have held a lot more buildings then three.

"The good new artists are philosophers who have overcome philosophy" (Illies 210).

Perhaps this quote can help shed some more light on what he intended with the painting, and what he is trying to convey.

"He can do perfect imitations of train whistles, coupling, shunting, squealing. He asks Roessler to join in. Someone has to do the announcements at the little station" (Illies 212).

i don't really know what about this seems almost hopeful. Is it just the mundane show of humanity that Illies somehow surprises me with again and again? It's like dancing in the kitchen, the joy in the the regular.

Tragic circumstances imposed by a still conservative society, but it's nice to know that he was happy, free of the common responsibilities and burden of the court.

https://www.henrimatisse.org/

Son of florists.

Australian painter John Russell introduced him to impressionism, gifting him a painting of Van Gogh. Afterwards, Matisse's style changed completely, abandoning all the earth tones for bright colors.

Reminiscent of so many stories I like whether fictitious or real, where some great hero or villain or character just gets a little bit of time to act entirely normal and always reminisce on their time doing nothing important.

Wanted to take a look at her paintings of Prince Yussuf.

https://www.rixdorfeditions.com/blog/2022/7/5/images-of-jussuf

"You can't marry a 'Wind-Bride'. Only paint one" (Illies 227). Such an impactful line that seems to contextualize so much of love and passion. Capturing the difficulty with which it is to see things clearly while you are still a part of it.

Couldn't find much. What a shame.

https://psychoanalysis.org.uk/our-authors-and-theorists/sigmund-freud#:~:text=In%201909%20they%20travelled%2C%20along,of%20the%20Viennese%20medical%20community.

It seems like he became a global name after giving various lectures in the U.S.A in 1909, which had already occurred at this point. But how much further does his name continue to grow?

https://galeriemarenzi.at/heinrich-kuehn/

https://www.artic.edu/artists/14425/heinrich-kuhn

"You know how it is, Herr Kuhn" (Illies 255).

The money that could have potentially been spent for the state photography teaching position for Kuhn was instead spent in the military. Once more showing the continuing slide towards militarism and thus an inevitable (but also "impossible") war.

"intended to resolve all unresolved issues between nations" (Illies 256). Quite the grand expectations for this peace conference, is this truly what people at the time believed, or was it just the narrative pushed by those hosting. What is the current opinion of the people? Do they still believe that a world war would be "impossible" or has the continued rush towards militarism become more worrying for the public?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_in_Venice

Another story where a disease plays a major role in the setting, with the quarantining of cholera. Interesting how he uses illness as almost a catalyst towards self-discovery/reflection.

"Brecht is fifteen. Marie Rose Amann is twelve. Unfortunately they haven't yet met; he hasn't held her in his arms like a lovely dream, as he will later write in 'Memory of Marie A'" (Illies 265).

Once again its always the little details that seem to call out at me, this one in particular because it was mentioned how the stars look bad the following day on the 9th.

If they had met just a day later, would they still have become as entranced by each other, would she think that "he recognizes my essence" (Illies 268).

I am also continually impressed and curious about how Illies was able to compile such information about the small details in the lives of these characters. The quote I had just mentioned was also quoted, indicating that it was form some journal or some account, but what about how she "even lets Kraus stroke Bobby... which no one else is allowed to touch" (Illies 268).

It really does amaze me how he was able to compile these details.

As a thirteen year old boy halfway across the Earth, he does not have any real influence at this point over any events in the story. Given the novels focus on European events, the shift of focus even for a minute, intrigues me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_August_Wagner

Some light research has shown that he tried to commit suicide twice, after being caught in an act of bestiality. It seems the ridicule and depression ultimately led him to committing his acts of murder. Seems to just have been rather troubled for most of his life.

Without having read excerpts from The Magic Mountain, I likely would not be able to contextualize this experience enough.

"He writes his last letter to Felice Bauer for the time being... He has recognized that he cannot produce great art if he yields to love and life" (Illies 275).

Quite interesting of a thought from him, as so much of his work is an expression of his deep and strong emotions, I wonder what experience or train of thought has prompted this out of him? Is it truly the lack of love that feels freeing and relieving to him, or is it just one less thing for his anxious mind to spiral over?

"He has plunged for ten days into a childlike passion that will lead nowhere" (Illies 277).

Such an impactful way to conclude this section on Kafka, a time where he was finally free from the burden of his mind, and yet we are told right away that there will be no more to come from this.

Reminds me much of 1913 itself!

"It is an aesthetic alliance across all boundaries, a demonstration of the solidarity of the avant-garde beyond all foreign political skirmishes" (Illies 280).

Very interesting! It seems to be much like the Der Blaue Reiter Almanach, a celebration of diversity, an almost "call to arms" for all artistic expression.

It's actually really interesting to me how such a slight shift in tone or audience preconception can lead to such a drastically different reaction in the realm of art. I am thinking about my own experiences with contemporary art and how I thought of it before doing my project on Der Blaue Reiter, and if I had to describe it simply, it really would just be with the word "pretentious". But such a small shift in perspective helps me see it so differently, that it really is experimental, that someone is trying to find something outside the realm of normal, the beauty beyond what is seen in nature.

I don't entirely know where I am going with this, but I think I am trying to emphasize the fine line between the idea of painting something abnormal that only an eye that is not exactly intuitive to appreciate, and being seen as looking down upon those who don't appreciate it.

Never really thought of it before, but I'm wondering now whether more counter culture / anti-war groups are affiliated with nature in some way, seems to be an almost natural combination.

Try to do too much at once and you'll accomplish nothing.

Wondered if this was actually a movement of sorts and found this:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/405005

Skimmed through it and saw that Doblin tried to get his literature to be as close to reality as possible. I am not entirely familiar with Futurism enought o fully understand what their stance on it is, but with expressionism and specifically in the Der Blaue Reiter group, reality and realism was looked at as kind of a false goal, a beauty that was materialistic, and you could only transcend to some higher and more pure form of beauty by forgoing it. So I find Doblins points interesting.

I have not seen art from Meidner before, but I really like the style utilized. Broad strokes with plenty of contrast in between them, along with the perception being entirely warped as your eyes move along the different background pieces. It feels almost as if the whole land is being sucked into different directions, he does it very fluidly as its clear its done with intent rather than simply being off.

I'm continuing to more and more feel as though his art style is more reminiscent of a memory then it would be if the style was more realistic. It feels as though you are in the place of the running man, because when i remember scenes or experiences, they are not of photographic quality but of feelings, and i think this conveys those feelings.

Going to do some research into his play L'Annonce faite a Marie.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Annonce_faite_%C3%A0_Marie

Claudel himself participated! Another piece of art where a disease is a prominent catalyst, this one being leprosy.

"he sentenced his father to execution by verse" (Illies 308).

I wonder what ethical grounds his father used to justify the morphine restriction. I also wonder how his relationship with his father continues, does him and his familial relationships give any insight into his relationship with Lasker-Schuler?

"Elisabeth knew what it was. And so do we. They were pictures of such genuine, captivating beauty that sometimes the only way to bear them is to denounce them as kitsch" (Illies 314).

Very striking end to a chapter, something about how Illies also addresses us here gives such an feeling of finality and bittersweetness.

As someone who was an appreciator of the avant-garde movements, with many close artist friends, I'm actually really surprised he saw this divide between architecture and art.

Why would anyone choose to listen to music that isn't pleasing, and so why would anyone create music that isn't for the sole purpose of pleasing? But there is purpose in experimentation, and value in pushing the boundaries of comfort, I kind of see his point, but also don't see how his logic wouldn't apply to various other forms.

I feel like his time in the sanatorium might have changed him. At the very least, being free of his overwhelming thoughts of Bauer I hope brought him some measure of clarity.

Once more I wish we had some more information to contextualize Bauer's thoughts and actions during this time.

https://www.encyclopedia.com/psychology/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/gross-otto-hans-adolf-1877-1920

Can't find too much on contextualizing their relationship, seems quite normal, likely just the content of his publications that led to his father's declaration. It even notes that his father's death later left him distraught, so despite any complexity in their relationship, there was still something there.

I really like how this quote is shown only after they have split, and how it is shown to be right when she meets him. It fits so perfectly with all we have learned of her, specifically in her poems about Benn, she is always describing her love as something that compels her to allow him to consume her. Without him she is crumbling.

The Bride of the Wind is finally complete,

"She studiously ignores the fact that she once promised to marry him for it" (Illies 325).

Well that answers that question. I was wondering what it would mean for both of them, if Alma had given him what he wanted, and what would happen to Kokoschka if he had gotten what he wanted.

A fitting ideology for someone like him.

"Oh, the pain of love's possibilities / I have felt day and day after night: / to flee to one another, slip from / one another's grasp / nothing has led to joy" (Illies 327).

I'm getting increasingly interested in how his story will end, not just in this novel but for his life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainer_Maria_Rilke

In 1919 he did start a relationship that continued until his death many years later. Other than that nothing really stood out to me.

A common theme throughout our study of this time period, that disease and declination of both health and mind, seem to be the ideal setting for intense retrospection. This theme was in both of Mann's books that we looked at "Death in Venice" along with "The Magic Mountain"

Love is always most apparent in the small details, and I like how this is phrased.

I like how fashion is also incorporated, I think it is definitely one of the most prominent forms of art in the modern age, and think information about its development and state during this time period is interesting.

He mentioned creating works without creating art-works, but what defines an "art"-work, does art serve a purpose?

A line and ideology that feels straight out of a movie.

Not exactly what i expected but kind of heartwarming.

Amusing that his handwriting could be misinterpreted as The Sorcerers Apprentice.

Interesting take on sexual needs, I wonder on his relationships with his lovers, and if there is any further information on that.

"I shall not touch here on the problematic marriage, a true Strindberg marriage."

Good thing he is saved by his father, condemned to five years in a foreign army just on an urge to get away would have been quite the experience!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Brandt

The chancellor of West Germany! Even won a Nobel Peace Prize.

He took the name Willy Brandt to protect himself from Nazi Germany.

I love how this fourth wall break, especially in the final pages of the book. The lack of certainty, the focus on the now and the present, is what makes 1913 so enchanting.

What will become of him now, that their long and tumultuous relationship is coming to an end. I wonder at his mental state, at his relationships with others, at how his constant thoughts of her will evolve.

(Illies 366).

One of the most impactful line's I have read from him, all the more special as it is coming at the end of our journey with him.

"'Please remember Christmas 1913 tonight.' It must have been lovely, that Christmas"

(Illies 369).

The soft conclusions continue to come, and I am left thinking about each of them, attached in our sporadic journeys together.

I am glad that there was a conclusion to Karl and Sidonie's story, at least a bittersweet semblance of one.

"At midnight they clink glasses to the year 1914" (Illies 373).

A hopeful end to the many notes on the starry sky present throughout the book.