Sounds of hope and desperate letting go

This essay contextualises the last thirteen letters of Walter Benjamin, in relation to his oeuvre and the historical context. My aim is to provide some reference points for the interpretation of the letters published in this issue, originally written in French and German. These letters were written in a rather specific historical-social context and in a critical period in Benjamin’s life. For these very reasons, their documentary value in terms of contemporary history and Benjamin’s life story is inestimable: they actively inform us about life in wartime, emigration, internment camps and the continuing insecurity of existence – to mention only the most striking aspects of them. All of this is addressed in Walter Benjamin’s letters, and they shed light on the different ways in which intellectuals of the time tried to survive the vicissitudes of war and the different coping strategies they developed. Following the historical contextualisation, I analyse Benjamin’s letters through the concepts of correspondence and the letter which both played key role in his life and writing.