“After I returned home I realized that indeed, like savages we had behaved” – early letter of condolence handwritten and signed by S.Y. Agnon, bearing his original name: S.Y. Czaczkes. Wiesbaden (Germany), circa 1920s.
An early and rare handwritten letter by Shmuel Yosef Agnon, addressed to his “dear and sorrowful friend” (recipient unnamed), in which he offers emotional words of condolence—possibly following the death of a relative of the recipient. Agnon writes: “All night I turned upon my bed, watching the clock and saying to myself—now he is in Fulda, now in Eisenach, now in Erfurt, now in Weimar… perhaps now they have found rest, perhaps their sleep is sweet…”.
The letter is signed in Agnon’s early signature, “Sh. Y. Czaczkes”—his birth surname before adopting the pen name Agnon. Although he began using the name “Agnon” in 1908 (following the publication of his story Agunot), for some reason he chose to sign this letter using his original family name.
In 1912, Agnon immigrated from his birthplace in Galicia to Germany, where he lived for twelve years. This letter was written during that period.
[15] handwritten lines, signed by Agnon. Fold marks. Stains. Back reinforced with tape. Good condition.
