ON THE VALUE OF WORDS
PREVIEW OF THE BOOKS & AUTOGRAPHS AUCTION ON 25 MARCH 2026
Franz Kafka did not live to witness the success of his works, nor was he awarded a literary prize during his lifetime. In 1915, however, Carl Sternheim, recipient of the Fontane Prize, publicly placed his prize money at the disposal of the talented writer from Prague, thereby bringing him at least a measure of recognition. A previously unknown letter of thanks from Kafka to Sternheim will be offered in our auction. In it, the shy author adopts a courteous and slightly self-effacing tone: ‘That this decision should come from you in particular honours me greatly; it is more important to me than you can imagine.’
Franz
Kafka
(1883–1924)
Signed autograph letter
Prague, 20 October 1915. 8°
Estimate: CHF 30 000/40 000
Rainer Maria
Rilke
(1875–1926)
Der Panther. Autograph manuscript of the
poem. With dedication leaf, dated 1907
Estimate: CHF 14 000/20 000
Albert
Einstein
(1879–1955)
Autograph letter to his son
Hans Albert Einstein
Estimate: CHF 5 000/8 000
The sale includes many further autographs and books from a wide range of fields. In this anniversary year of Rilke’s death, the Prague-born poet must not be absent. In 1907, he dedicated and presented a handwritten manuscript of his famous poem ‘Der Panther’ to an unknown recipient. At times, literature itself becomes currency.
Less modestly, Albert Einstein wrote in 1936 to congratulate his eldest son Hans Albert on completing his doctorate in Zurich: ‘I am enormously pleased that your work has now been finished. I truly pity the printer who has to read your scribblings.’ Yet Einstein was also generous: ‘Whatever the Institute does not cover in printing costs, I shall pay. I have enough money for it in Zurich, and it could not be better spent.’
Hortense de
Beauharnais
(1783–1837)
Album from her possession with
69 watercolours and brush drawings
Estimate: CHF 14 000/18 000
The letters and documents in our catalogue repeatedly demonstrate how dependent talent is upon financial support – whether to survive or to flourish. By contrast, an album from the estate of Napoleon’s stepdaughter and sister-in-law Hortense de Beauharnais reflects a more tranquil life in exile, residing in her own château at Arenenberg on Lake Constance, where she devoted herself to the arts.
CONTACT FOR
ENQUIRIES AND
CONSIGNMENTS:
DR. ANDREAS TERWEY
Head of DepartmentBooks & Autographs
terwey@kollerauktionen.ch
+41 44 445 63 44