Guide to the Papers of Johannes and Gertrude Urzidil
1753-1996 (bulk 1945-1970)
AR 7110

Series I: Personal, n.d., 1753-1977.

Arrangement:

This series has 6 subseries:

• Subseries 1: Family History, n.d., 1753-1969
• Subseries 2: Personal Documents, 1832-1953
• Subseries 3: Johannes Urzidil's Diaries and Address Books, 1957-1977
• Subseries 4: Birthdays and Anniversaries, 1946-1966
• Subseries 5: Honors and Prizes, 1957, 1964-1968
• Subseries 6: Obituaries, 1970-1971

Scope and Content:

Series I: Personal is comprised not only of personal documents, but also of documents which pertain to Johannes Urzidil's ancestors and family history, awards and honors which he received, obituaries and eulogies upon his death, and his diaries. It also holds personal documents belonging to both of the Urzidils.

Subseries 1: Family History,  n.d., 1753-1969.

Scope and Content:

Family history documents include a family tree, proclamations concerning Johannes Urzidil's ancestors, baptismal certificates for Joseph and Barbara Urzidil, and a marriage contrract between Barbara and Johannes Urzidil. In addition there is also a book which mentions Johann Urzidil, Johannes Urzidil’s grandfather, and patents with diagrams for mathematical machines created by his father Joseph Urzidil.

Subseries 2: Personal Documents,  1832-1953.

Scope and Content:

Personal documents include documents for Johannes and Gertrude Urzidil, including baptismal certificates, documents pertaining to Johannes Urzidil's teaching position in the late 1800s, and school documents.

Subseries 3: Johannes Urzidil's Diaries and Address Books,  1957-1977.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

Diaries consist of many diaries of Johannes Urzidil, spanning the time after he left Germany, with a page for each day. Entries are in German except for occasional references in English. Most days have an "Ordnung" with the day's planned activities or appointments. Important dates, such as the Urzidil’s anniversary and Gertrude Urzidil's birthday, are often marked in red. Occasionally notes, which appear to be for talks are also included. Researchers should note that Johannes Urzidil often refers to his wife in the diaries as "Trude."

Subseries 4: Birthdays and Anniversaries,  1946-1966.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

Documents pertaining to birthdays include correspondence, cards, and newspaper clippings concerning several of Johannes Urzidil's birthdays.

Subseries 5: Honors and Prizes,  1957, 1964-1968.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 5 focuses on honors and prizes awarded to Johannes Urzidil. The awards include the Charles Veillon Prize for the German Book (Charles Veillon-Preis 1956 für den deutschen Roman) for Die verlorene Geliebte. This subseries also contains several notifications of honorary degrees given to Johannes Urzidil as well as congratulatory correspondence.

Subseries 6: Obituaries,  1970-1971.

Scope and Content:

Material on Johannes Urzidil's death in Rome in 1970 will also be found here, including a copy of his eulogy and published obituaries after his death, as well as some correspondence concerning it. It should be noted that most condolences sent to Johannes Urzidil's wife Gertrude after his death will be found in Series XII: Gertrude Urzidil's Correspondence.

Series II: Correspondence, 1830-1899, 1915-1975.

Arrangement:

This series is comprised of five subseries:

• Subseries 1: General, 1830-1899, 1915-1975
• Subseries 2: Christmas Correspondence, 1942-1970
• Subseries 3: Publishers and Magazine Editiors, 1942-1970
• Subseries 4: Literary Correspondence, 1941-1970
• Subseries 5: Johannes Urzidil's Lectures in Europe and America, 1946-1968

Scope and Content:

Series II is among the largest in the collection, and holds the correspondence of Johannes Urzidil with family members, friends, and colleagues. Much of the correspondence to be found in this series is between Johannes Urzidil and other writers.

Subseries 1: General,  1830-1899, 1915-1975.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Prominent correspondence in subseries 1 can be divided into two types: letters from friends and family and letters from well-known writers or individuals involved in the literary world. The majority of letters in this subseries originate in the 1960s, although there are some older letters as well. Even though Johannes Urzidil wrote most of his correspondence in German, in several instances he chose to write in Czech, a language which he also had an excellent command of.

One person who is represented well in this collection is Friedrich Thieberger, the brother-in-law of Johannes Urzidil, who resided in Israel. In addition to discussions about Franz Kafka and his circle of contemporaries from Prague, Thieberger also conferred with Urzidil about world events after World War II. Friedrich Thieberger let Urzidil know his opinions on the German people in the post-war world and also his feelings and experiences living in the newly created state of Israel. There are also a few letters with Friedrich Thieberger's spouse after his death as well as concerning his illness preceeding it, and clippings of obituaries.

A second family with whom Johannes Urzidil maintained contact was Aloysia Traeger, the daughter of Urzidil’s step-brother Alois Ziederer, who remained unknown to Urzidil until Ziederer contacted him. The letters exchanged with Aloysia Traeger are personal in nature and mention cultural events in Germany as well as news from Czechoslovakia.

Johannes Urzidil also had a great deal of correspondence with the popular journalist Dorothy Thompson, known occasionally in the correspondence as Dorothy Lewis when she was married to her third of four husbands, Sinclair Lewis. Letters from Thompson includes her recommendations for Urzidil for Voice of America, concerning travel abroad, holiday greeting cards, postcards from Vermont featuring her house, and some writings about her.

Extensive correspondence is also available with the English writer Bryher, who assisted the Urzidils with their emigration out of Prague and during their time in England. The correspondence with her concerns the publishing of works, upcoming events, trips, and visits. Bryher’s letters provide a good insight into everyday issues and events in Johannes Urzidil's life in the 1940s through the 1970s.

Particularly interesting to researchers may be the correspondence with German writer Heinz Risse. Urzidil and Risse discuss such topics as Urzidil's work at Voice of America, important events in each other's lives, events during World War II and life afterward in their respective countries. Literary topics include recent developments in the German literary scene and of their own works.

The poet and former Czechoslovak diplomat Jan Gerke is also represented among the correspondence here. Jan Gerke was a classmate of Johannes Urzidil and also one of the individuals involved in the "Prager Kreis." The letters he exchanged with Urzidil include comments on literary issues as well as discussion of common friends.

Letters exchanged with other friends will also be found here. Correspondence with the historian Hans Kohn, who was a friend of Urzidil's from Prague, largely focuses on material of a personal nature. This correspondence also mentions the political views of the correspondents. Letters with Christine Busta-Dimt are personal, and focus on writing as well as personal conversations, and includes some poetry. There is also some correspondence between Johannes Urzidil and Alice Kanitz-Masatova, a friend of his from childhood, and focuses on her personal views of developments in Europe as well as discussing friends they had in common. Josef Matouš, was Urzidil’s neighbor in Prague, and letters with him converse about developments in Czechoslovakia, new events, and about acquaintances they had in common. Letters exchanged with Max Brod are relatively numerous and discuss contemporary literary issues as well as comment on their works.

Correspondence with colleagues, writers, and those involved in the literary world are also found in this subseries. One such individual is Noa Kiepenheuer, widow of the publisher Gustav Kiepenheuer. Correspondence with her discusses trends in literary circles. Another person with whom Urzidil maintained this type of correspondence is Kurt Krolop, who studied the German literature of Prague. Correspondence with Krolop features an analysis of the cultural milieu in Prague with Johannes Urzidil's comments and recollections on the topic. The correspondence between Urzidil and Krolop critically commented on recent scholarship in Prague literary circles. Correspondence with the Czech poet Petr Bezruč includes an exchange on some literary issues and the works of Johannes Urzidil. Other correspondence of this nature is from Friedrich Wirtz, from the Artemis publishing company in Zürich, as well as with the writer Ernst Sommer. Insightful is also the correspondence with the poet Jean Starr Untermeyer, who translated Hermann Broch's works. Finally, researchers should be aware there are also some letters from Thomas Mann, Franz Werfel, and Heinrich Böll included in this subseries.

Subseries 2: Christmas Correspondence,  1942-1970.

Scope and Content:

Christmas correspondence includes holiday greeting cards and postcards sent to Johannes and Gertrude Urzidil. Although most of the cards contain brief greetings, some have more extended notes. The cards are mainly from friends and colleagues in the United States and Europe. The vast majority of these cards are standard greetings cards, a few are handmade or made with stamps. Notable are those from Austrian Embassies in London, Rome, and New York; the Austrian Kulturinstitut in Rome; the Swiss Embassy in Köln; the Goethe House in New York, and the writer Bryher. In addition there are creative cards created by the artist Hannes Beckmann (who studied at the Bauhaus) and his wife Elsa. Some correspondence and items concerning Gertrude and Johannes Urzidil’s work is also included in box 5 folder 4.

Subseries 3: Publishers and Magazine Editors,  1942-1970.

Arrangement:

Subseries 3 is separated into correspondence from the Artemis Verlag and correspondence from other publishers.

Scope and Content:

This series is comprised of business correspondence between Johannes Urzidil and his publishers, especially with the Artemis Verlag in Zürich. The correspondence discusses publication of and payment for some of his works. Editorial correspondence includes discussion of specific works, such as Bist Du es, Ronald?, Goethe in Böhmen, Die erbeuteten Frauen, and Amerika und die Antike with the opinions of the publishers on his works. Copies of contracts will also be found here.

a) Artemis

b) General

Subseries 4: Literary Correspondence,  1941-1970.

Scope and Content:

Literary correspondence covers a wide range of topics. It includes correspondence from Johannes Urzidil’s work with various agencies, as well as correspondence with specific individuals.

Correspondence with agencies and organizations includes institutions such as the Goethe House of New York, the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung, the Adalbert-Stifter Institute, and the LBI, as well as some organizations in Europe, especially from Austria and Germany. Much of the correspondence with institutions concerns letures and programs which Urzidil participated or lectures he planned to give. Correspondence of this sort will be found in folders 15-18. Some correspondence with Urzidil is with television stations who wanted to feature him in short. In addition, there is some correspondence here between Johannes Urzidil and German radio stations, as well as letters concerning a filmed adaptation of Johannes Urzidil’s work Goethe in Böhmen with the Aventin Filmstudio. Other topics found in correspondence with institutions discuss several institutions who wished to use his work, such as the Frankfurt Goethe Museum and the Adalbert Stifter Institute.

Subseries 4 also holds correspondence from individuals. Some of this correspondence, especially that found in folder 13, is comprised of letters expressing their appreciation of Urzidil’s works. Other correspondence is from individuals asking advice of Johannes Urzidil concerning topics he wrote about such as Franz Kafka and Goethe’s time in Bohemia.

Subseries 5: Johannes Urzidil's Lectures in Europe and America,  1946-1968.

Scope and Content:

Correspondence concerning Johannes Urzidil’s lectures, including radio programs, will be found in Subseries 5. This subseries also contains information on prizes Urzidil received, such as the Austria State Prize and the Köln Literatur Prize. Urzidil gave lectures for many organizations, including the American Committee for Émigré Scholars, the Literarischer Verein of New York, the Joseph Popper Lodge of B'nai B'rith, the American Association of Teachers of German, the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in America, the Adalbert Stifter Verein, and several universities. Some of the topics on which Urzidil gave lectures included discussion of his own work, the work of artist Václav Hollar (Wenceslaus Hollar), and on Goethe.

Subseries 5 also holds information on lectures Johannes Urzidil gave on the radio. He worked with such radio stations as the Bayerisches Rundfunk, Süddeutscher Rundfunk, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Radio Bern, and Radio Bremen. There is also information on a possible film adaptation of Goethe in Böhmen by the Aventin Filmstudio.

Material on prizes Johannes Urzidil received is mainly comprised of congratulatory correspondence regarding the awards. Information on some of Urzidil’s lecture tours will also be found here. There is some information here about a lecture tour Urzidil gave for his work Amerika und die Antike, as well as information on a lecture series sponsored by the Ackermann Gemeinde/Albert Langen Georg Mueller Verlag.

Series III: Johannes Urzidil's Writings, n.d., 1911-1972.

Arrangement:

This series is comprised of five subseries:

• Subseries 1: Literary Works, n.d., 1911-1913, 1928-1970
• Subseries 2: General Non-Fiction, n.d., 1935-1970
• Subseries 3: Political Articles, 1941-1945
• Subseries 4: Clippings of Johannes Urzidil's Works, 1918-1972
• Subseries 5: Radio Programs for Johannes Urzidil on America, 1951-1967

Scope and Content:

Series III is comprised of examples of Johannes Urzidil's writings. It includes handwritten and typed drafts of his writing, many clippings of his published writings, and some correspondence concerning these writings. Types of writings found here include essays and articles, poetry, and fiction. This series also includes radio program transcripts, which Urzidil wrote for the Austrian Service.

Subseries 1: Literary Works,  n.d., 1911-1913, 1928-1970.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 1 holds typescripts (some with handwritten corrections) of stories, novels, a play and poems including "Das Gold von Carumblu;" Bist Du es, Ronald?; Die Entführung; Die erbeuteten Frauen; and various stories including "Stief und Halb." Johannes Urzidil's literary works mainly include such writings as essays and poetry. There is also a handwritten play. One interesting essay found here is "Das Jahr Zweitausend," which contains Johannes Urzidil's musings on how the new millenium might affect individuals.

Subseries 2: General Non-fiction,  n.d., 1935-1970.

Scope and Content:

General non-fiction includes typescripts and manuscripts mainly on literary topics including some speeches and radio scripts. Included are many essays on Franz Kafka among them Da geht Kafka; "Amerika in Kafkas Werk;" "Franz Kafka, Person to Person;" "Goethe, Stifter, und Kafka als gemeinsames Erlebnis;" "Kafka und Prag;" "Decision and Responsibility;" and "Kafka and the Jewish Culture of Prague." This subseries also holds some material on Goethe, essays on such modern German writers as Max Brod and Franz Werfel and on classical German literature. Essays on American and English writers will also be found here especially concerning Daniel Defoe, Henry David Thoreau and Charles Sealsfield, as well as Walt Whitman and Robert Frost. Essays and material on art is also here including on the Czech artist Wenceslaus Hollar (Václav Hollar), as well as on Michelangelo, Giotto and Van Gogh and essays on Italian art in general. There are also essays on language in exile and speeches about Friedrich Thieberger.

Subseries 3: Political Articles,  1941-1945.

Arrangement:

Chronological.

Scope and Content:

Subseries 3 holds political articles written by Johannes Urzidil for various European newspapers. The most prominent topic addressed in the articles is America’s involvement in world affairs, with articles discussing such specific topics as America’s entrance into World War II, America’s isolationism, Hoover and the future Czechoslovakia, and the Monroe doctrine. Another topic frequently addressed here concerns issues affecting the emigrant, such as America’s culture, the worth of the emigrant, and music in America. Other topics which will be found here include the topic of reconstruction, specifically the reconstruction of Czechoslovakia, the danger of Hitler, and his military policies.

Subseries 4: Clippings of Johannes Urzidil's Works,  1918-1972.

Scope and Content:

This subseries contains clippings of published copies of Urzidil's works from various newspapers and periodicals. Most of the clippings found here are articles or poems, although some stories are also included. Also found here are newsletters, pamphlets, and several Masonic publications which printed some of Urzidil's articles.

Subseries 5: Radio Programs by Johannes Urzidil on America,  1951-1967.

Scope and Content:

During the 1950s and early 1960s, Urzidil wrote radio program transcripts for the Austrian Service. This subseries holds these transcripts. Topics covered in these transcripts include Johannes Urzidil's biographical reports on individuals such as Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Van Wyck Brooks, Emily Dickinson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry George, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Noah Webster. There are also reviews of books by William Faulkner, Thornton Wilder, Other topics in this subseries include winters in the United States, history of literature in the United States, current trends in American literature, American poetry.

Series IV: Biographical Typescripts or Manuscripts Concerning Johannes Urzidil, n.d., 1970.

Scope and Content:

This small series contains autobiographical material pertaining to Johannes Urzidil. It includes notes and a speech Urzidil made to English residents of the area where he lived many years after having emigrated to America. The speech discusses Urzidil's life as an emigrant in England and contrasts the differences between living in England and living in the United States.

Series V: Bibliographical Material for Johannes Urzidil’s Writings, n.d., 1916-1995.

Scope and Content:

Series V holds bibliographical and biographical information on Johannes Urzidil. Many of the documents found here include lists of published works. One of the lists is handwritten, in a notebook. Biographical documents include handwritten drafts for an autobiography and a typed essay of Johannes Urzidil's remembrances on when he was informed of Franz Ferdinand's death and the declaration of war in 1914. This essays also makes some mention of individuals Urzidil knew from the Café Arco, where the "Prager Kreis" often met.

Series VI: Clippings about Johannes Urzidil and his Works, 1939-1977.

Scope and Content:

Series VI contains clippings and typescripts about Urzidil’s works, mainly consisting of reviews of his works. There are also a few folders of correspondence and radio program transcripts pertaining to specific works. Many of the reviews are from the New York Times Book Review. Extensive amounts of clippings from newspapers and periodicals will be found for some of Urzidil’s most popular works, including Das grosse Hallelujah; Prager Triptychon; Goethe in Böhmen; Die verlorene Geliebte; Elefantenblatt; Amerika und die Antike; and Die Erbeuteten Frauen.

a) Johannes Urzidil's Works 

b) About Johannes Urzidil 

Series VII: Clippings about American Authors of the 19th or 20th Century, 1932-1970.

Scope and Content:

Series VII is comprised of clippings about well-known American and English authors of the 19th and 20th Century, including such writers as Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis and William Faulkner. Several of the clippings are of Johannes Urzidil's own articles about the authors, such as in the case of Benjamin Franklin and Marianne Moore. There is also some information on the Washington Irving house in Tarrytown (N.Y.), the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house in Cambridge (Mass.), and the Nathaniel Hawthorne house in Salem (Mass.).

Series VIII. Clippings about Franz Kafka, 1945-1968.

Scope and Content:

Series VIII contains clippings dealing with Franz Kafka's work. It includes information about his work, reviews of books about him, and biographical information, among other topics. In addition, there is also an article written by Urzidil for the Austrian Service in box 12 folder 39 which discusses the topic "American Students as Kafka-Readers."

Series IX: Recordings, 1961-1969.

Scope and Content:

This series contains cassette tapes of recordings about or by Johannes Urzidil. It includes tapes of Urzidil’s lectures on Max Brod for the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and the Freedom House in New York. Two cassettes also contains two programs created on the occasion of Urzidil's 65th and 70th birthdays. There are also recordings of other people reading Johannes Urzidil's works.

Series X: Manuscripts amd Typescripts by other Authors, 1974-1976.

Scope and Content:

Series X is comprised of typed manuscripts of works by authors other than Johannes Urzidil. Included in this series is a typed manuscript of Franz Kafka’s work, Der Prozess.

Series XI: Various, n.d., 1925, 1930-1977.

Scope and Content:

This series contains material collected by the Urzidils on various topics. It includes information on artwork, the birthplaces of William Shakespeare and Johann von Goethe, music programs, information on the author Erich von Kahler, and obituaries for various individuals.

This series is largely comprised of reproductions of artwork and architecture. Most of the reproductions are in the form of postcards, although there are also clippings of the artwork from newspapers. There are also a few articles about the artwork, specifically in the folder concerning Central American and Mexican artwork.

This series also holds information on Shakespeare and Goethe’s birthplaces. The material includes postcards, pamphlets, and booklets.

Music programs in this series include programs from various productions. Most programs are from the Wiener Staatsoper, but the New York Philharmonic is also included here, among others. Programs include a copy of "Ein Konversationsstück für Musik in einem Aufzug" by Clemens Krauss and Richard Strauss as well as a program for the "Kings of the Waltz."

Information on the author Erich von Kahler is mainly comprised of articles. There are articles on Dr. Faustus, a Gedenkrede for Thomas Mann, and an article on Johannes Urzidil’s Prague. Articles about Erich von Kahler include an obituary for him, an address in honor of his eightieth birthday at the LBI, an essay concerning his book Der Sinn der Geschichte, and a memorial for Antoinette von Kahler, Erich von Kahler’s mother.

Obituaries for various people include memorials for conductor George Szell and journalist Vincent Sheean. It also contains articles on Thomas Mann, Max Brod, Friedrich Torberg, and Thomas Eakins. In addition, there is also material on the forbidden art in the Third Reich, a copy of the newsletter of the Adalbert Stifter Verein, a booklet concerning the Deutsche Nationalkirche in Santa Maria dell Anima, poetry and articles and clippings on various other topics.

Series XII: Gertrude Urzidil’s Correspondence, 1942-1951, 1970-1977.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

Gertrude Urzidil maintained correspondence with many of her husband’s colleagues and friends as well as with her own friends and family members. Among her well-known correspondents are included W. Bryher (Anne Willifried Ellerman) and Heinrich Böll. Almost all of the correspondence in this series dates from the time after Johannes Urzidil's death.

The most prominent type of letters found among Gertrude Urzidil's correspondence are condolence letters after the death of her husband, and these letters are from almost every individual and several institutions found in this series. Noteworthy among these is the correspondence from Heinrich Schmidinger at the Östereichisches Kulturinstitut in Rome where Johannes Urzidil died and which held memorials for him. Other correspondence also concerns her husband's affairs, such as publications of his work or returning his items to Gertrude Urzidil after his death. Examples of this type of correspondence includes: correspondence with the Freies Deutsches Hochstift Frankfurter Goethe-Museum discussing giving some of Johannes Urzidil's writings on Goethe to them; with the Furche-Verlag Hamburg concerning publication of his work "Grenzland;" from Peter Stadlmeyer at the Goethe House in New York about the return to Gertrude Urzidil of some of her husband's writings; from Heiner Hesse returning letters to Johannes Urzidil which were sent to him by Hermann Hesse; and from WGBH in Boston concerning a program they proposed to make on Johannes Urzidil's life.

This series also has letters between Gertrude Urzidil and her friends and family members. The largest amount of correspondence is between Gertrude Urzidil and W. Bryher, Hansres Jacobi, Gottfried Schaefer, and Christiane and Peter Stadelmayer. Family correspondence includes letters with Frederico, Nelly, Puccio, Lily, Enrique, and Sophie Thieberger, and with a nephew, Walter Steinitz. Box 14 folder 3 includes a clipping from Frederico Thieberger of Johannes Urzidil's article about the Blackout of 1965 in New York.

Series XIII: Gertrude Urzidil's Literary Works, n.d., 1930-1977, 1992-1993.

Scope and Content:

Most of this series consists of clippings of Gertrude Urzidil's works, as well as drafts of her poetry and a copy of an interview by Columbia University. Clippings are mainly of Gertrude Urzidil's published poetry and essays. The interviews conducted for Columbia University's Hungarian Project are comprised of two parts: the first concerning Johannes Urzidil, the second focusing on Gertrude Urzidil herself. A scrapbook will also be found in this series that consists of clippings of Gertrude Urzidil's poetry and articles pasted to its pages.

Series XIV: Catalog Cards, n.d.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical.

Scope and Content:

The index cards included in this collection consist of cards with Johannes Urzidil's handwritten notes. The notes contain quotations or research notes used in his writing, and are in German.

The first three folders hold mainly research notes used for writing essays, poetry, and fiction. The notes include remarks and quotations about or from specific books, as well as notes for pieces Urzidil wrote about Goethe, Kafka, and Adalbert Stifter. Other topics found in this part of the series include information on artists, artwork, information used in radio interviews, information on various geographic areas, and information on politcs and the Freemasons. Information on essays of Urzidil's, which were translated into other languages, will also be found here.

The index cards also contain many notes on people and characters, and folders 21 and 22 of box 14 hold these cards. Index cards listing publications that published works by Johannes Urzidial are another part of this series. This series also holds cards with an extensive list of individuals who should receive complimentary copies of Urzidil's published works.

The largest part of this series contains notes on numerous topics. These subjects include political topics, theoretical topics, cultural topics, locations mentioned in Urzidil's works, Americana, autobiographical notes, and notes on Goethe’s biography. Political topics include notes on political theory, political systems in various countries, and the relationship between war and peace. Theoretical topics include notes on a person's relationship with fate and nature, with existence, other people, and with him or herself. Other notes in this vein include quotes on good and evil, strength and weakness, happiness and unhappiness, and freedom and servitude, among many others. Quotations on religion, God, Judaism, and Christianity will also be found among the theoretical notes featured here. Cultural notes discuss such subjects as art, artists, music, literature, the liberal arts, the creation process, drama, translation, and specific author’s works. Notes on locations found in Urzidil's works include Prag, Bohemia, and New York. Finally, Americana contains quotes on topics such as as Henry David Thoreau and other American authors, nature, and Europeans opinions on America.

Series XV: Financial and Legal Records, 1944-1972.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by type of record, chronological within type.

Scope and Content:

Series XV holds documents pertaining to Johannes Urzidil's financial sitution as well as a few legal papers. Related documents, such as those which concern Urzidil's health and insurance documents will also be found here. The majority of documents in this series focus on his finances. Financial documents include tax returns, bank statement, information on literary fees and royalties, and invoices.

Series XVI: Objects, n.d.

Scope and Content:

This series holds various objects which belonged to the Urzidils. It includes jewelry as well as a jewelry box, souvenir medals and stones, and some coins. In addition, there are also a few art objects.

Series XVII: Photos, n.d.

Scope and Content:

Series XVI: Photos is comprised of three photo albums. The albums hold photos of family members and friends, some of which appear to be childhood photographs. There are also photographs of locations, including some postcards.

Series XVIII: Addenda, 1900-1976.

Scope and Content:

Series XVIII is composed of materials, which were added to the collection at a later date. It contains articles and notes written by Johannes Urzidil, postcards and greeting cards, correspondence concerning other people's writing, an article on the Sudetenland, and articles about Franz Kafka and reviews of his work. In addition, there is also material on the deaths of illustrator Hugo Steiner, Adalbert Stifter, and Viscount Bledisloe.