The confidant of Edmund Husserl

Landgrebe, Ludwig, Austrian philosopher (1902-1991). The private library of Ludwig Landgrebe, assistant to Edmund Husserl.

€ 35,000.00

The library and papers of the Viennese philosopher Ludwig Landgrebe, from 1923 to 1930 the personal assistant to the father of phenomenology, Edmund Husserl (1859-1938). Landgrebe's personal books, presented here, include a first edition of Husserl's groundbreaking "Logische Untersuchungen", and the first ever printing of Martin Heidegger's seminal "Sein und Zeit," published in the 1927 "Jahrbuch für Phänomenologie", which was produced and edited by Heidegger's teacher and mentor, Husserl himself.

Landgrebe's collection spans the philosophical developments of the 20th century and is supplemented with the library of the late curator of the Cologne Husserl Archive, Dr. Elisabeth Ströker (1928-2000). Altogether, the collection comprises over 110 works and numerous ephemeral pieces - including letters, manuscripts, postcards, notes, photographs, and more - documenting the evolution of the school of philosophy Husserl founded.

Many volumes are inscribed; Landgrebe himself has inscribed one of his own works to Elisabeth Ströker, his fellow custodian of Husserl's legacy, and eleven other works are inscribed to Landgrebe from a range of former students and colleagues, including Yoshihiro Nitta (1929-2020), Alwin Diemer (1920-86), Josef Speck (1927-2003), Bernhard Rang (1935-99), David Carr (b. 1940), and Marvin Farber (1901-80).

Edmund Husserl, who died in 1938, was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. It is clear from letters addressed to Landgrebe that even thirty years after Husserl's death, Landgrebe was considered a close confidant and expert on Husserl's life and legacy. This is especially important with regard to Husserl's relationship with his former student Martin Heidegger, whose works are the most common in Landgrebe's library after Husserl's. Heidegger famously chose not to support Husserl when, under Nazi policy, Husserl was denied access to university resources and finally was removed from his position. Heidegger, a member of the Nazi party, subsequently took Husserl's place, though he resigned a year later; the debate around the depth of Heidegger's dedication to Nazism can be seen in Landgrebe's library itself in the form of postwar newspaper clippings, and at least one letter sent to Landgrebe to ask for his side of the story in 1967.

A trove of Landgrebe's personal and professional history, and through him, one of Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. A detailed catalogue is available on request.