Biographical Note
Born June 29, 1912, in Oberlauringen, Germany, Horst Frenz attended the University of Goettingen, where he received his Ph.D. in English in 1936. Frenz moved to the United States in 1938 to attend the University of Illinois receiving a MA in 1939.
Frenz came to I.U. in 1940 as an instructor in English, was promoted to assistant professor of world literature in 1945, associate professor in 1949, and full professor in 1954. Frenz retired in 1981. In 1949, Frenz helped establish the Comparative Literature program at IU, and he served as the first chairman from 1949 to 1977. In addition to these duties, in 1964 Dr. Frenz was named associate director of the School of Letters. Under the direction of Frenz, the Comparative Literature program was one of the first in the world to incorporate Asian-Western relations and an interdisciplinary approach into the curriculum.
Outside of IU, Frenz served as the president of the American Comparative Literature Association from 1971-1974, and president of the International Comparative Literature Association from 1973-1976. Frenz was the recipient of Fulbright, Ford Foundation and Guggenheim Foundation fellowships, and he served as Editor of the Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature. In addition to authoring Die Entwicklung des Sozialen Dramas in England vor Galsworthy in 1938, Frenz published and co-edited numerous articles in the fields of drama, comparative literature and American literature.
Frenz died on November 17, 1990 in Bloomington.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Horst Frenz span the years of 1905-1990 and are organized into four series; Publications and writings, Correspondence, Professional activity and Subject files.
The first series, Publications and writings (1938-1988), comprises the bulk of the collection and contains notes, drafts, and published copies of Frenz's written works. It is arranged chronologically by date of publication, though there are many undated items that have been arranged alphabetically by title or subject at the end of the series. Prominent subjects in these publications include comparative literature and playwrights and authors such as Eugene O'Neill, Thornton Wilder, and Thomas Wolf, and Walt Whitman.
The second series, Correspondence, is arranged alphabetically and contains professional correspondence dated 1935-1990. Much of the correspondence relates to publications, research, professional organizations, and academic discussions of topics related to comparative literature. Individuals and organizations with whom Frenz corresponded repeatedly have been grouped together. Some of the prominent correspondents include Hans Joachim Lang, Gyorgy Vajda, and Istvan Soter, the president of the International Comparative Literature Assocation from 1970-1973. Other letters that represent one time correspondence have been organized by year in the folders titled "General Correspondence."
The third series, Professional activity, contains materials from the years 1938-1990. These materials pertain to many aspects of Frenz's career, such as research, publications, lectures, and organizations in which Frenz was involved. Examples of materials in this series include typed copies of addresses given by Frenz, information on his grant projects, flyers and programs for his lectures, and reviews of his publications.
The Subject files series spans the years 1905-1989 and is arranged alphabetically by folder heading. It contains a variety of materials related to Frenz's activities at Indiana University and his areas of interest. Included in this series are items pertaining to the American Comparative Literature Association and the International Comparative Literature Association, both organizations in which Frenz served as president. There are also many items about Indiana University in general and I.U.'s Comparative Literature department.
Arrangement
Organized into four series: Publications and writings, Correspondence, Professional activity and Subject files.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required for access.
Usage Restrictions:
The donor(s) of this collection have not transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.
Separated Material
Copies of publications not by Frenz have been removed.
13 photographs have been pulled and transferred to the University Archives Photograph Collection. Some of these are of Horst Frenz, others are of Frenz's professional contacts and authors and playwrights.
Indexed Terms
-
Persons
- Frenz, Horst, 1912-1990 -- Archives
- Frenz, Horst, 1912-1990 -- Correspondence
-
Corporate Bodies
- Indiana University, Bloomington. Department of Comparative Literature -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
-
Subjects
- English teachers --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
- Literature teachers --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
Administrative Information
Provenance
Deposited in the Archives by Mrs. Frenz, December 1984. Additions sent to the Archives in 2010 by Howard Swyers of the Dept. of Comparative Literature.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Horst Frenz papers, Collection C367, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Acquisition Information
Accession Information: 7282, 2010/048
Processing Information
Processed by Crystal Matjasic.
Collection Inventory
box 1
Series:
Publications and writings , 1871-1988, undated, bulk 1938-1988
box 1
"Rudolf Schmidt to Whitman" and "Rolleston to Whitman" Letter drafts , 1871-1884
box 1
"Die Entwicklung des sozialen Dramas in England vor Galsworthy," draft and published copy , 1938
box 1
"Thornton Wilder: Our Town in Germany" , 1946
box 1
"Bayard Taylor and the Reception of Goethe in America," published copy , 1942
box 1
"The German Drama in the Middle West," draft and published copy , 1942
box 1
"Edwin Booth in Polyglot Shakespeare Performances," draft and published copy , 1943
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill in Russia," published copy , 1943
box 1
"Campbell's My Partner in Berlin," published copy , 1944
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill in France," published copy , 1944
box 1
"Johannes V. Jenson," draft and published copy , 1944
box 1
"O'Neill Collections I Have Seen," reprint , 1945
box 1
"The Stage History of Shelley's The Cenci," drafts , 1945, undated
box 1
"William Gillette on the London Stage," draft and reprint , 1945
box 1
"Georg Kaiser," published copy , 1946
box 1
"Karl Knortz, Interpreter of American Literature and Culture," published copy , 1946
box 1
"Anderson and Stalling's 'What Price Glory?' And Carl Zuckmayer's 'Rivalen'" , 1946, 1961
box 1
"Anderson and Stalling's 'What Price Glory' and Carl Zuckmayer's 'Rivalen'" , 1947
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill on the London Stage," drafts and published copy , 1947
box 1
"Walt Whitman's Letters to Karl Knortz," drafts and reprint , 1948
box 1
"Evolution of a World Literature Course," reprint , 1950
box 1
"Some Notes on the Play," draft and published copy , 1952
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill on the German Stage," draft and published copy , 1953
box 1
"Thomas Wolfe als Dramatiker," published copy , 1953
box 1
"The Art of Translation" , 1956
box 1
"Bayard Taylor's German Lecture on American Literature," reprint , 1956
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill in Deutschland," reprint , 1956
box 1
"Teaching Comparative Arts: A Challenge," published copy , 1956
box 1
"Thornton Wilder's Visits to Postwar Germany" , 1957
box 1
"Thornton Wilder's Reception in Germany" , 1958
box 1
"St. John Irvine On Eugene O'Neill," reprint , 1959
box 1
"Notes of Eugene O'Neill in Japan" , 1960
box 1
"The Reception of Thornton Wilder's Plays in Germany," drafts and reprint , 1960
box 1
"Tennessee Williams and His German Critics," reprint , 1960
box 1
"American Playwrights and the German Psyche," drafts and published copy , 1961
box 1
"Amerikanische Dramaturgie," drafts , 1961-1962, undated
box 1
"Wechselbeziehung zwischen dem deutschen und amerikanischen Theater," draft , 1961
box 1
"Comparative Literature Method and Perspective," reprint , 1962
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill's 'Desire under the Elms' and Henrik Ibsen's 'Rosmersholm'," published copy , 1964
box 1
"Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism in American Letters: A Backward Glance," published copy , 1964
box 1
"A Note on Ibsen and O'Neil," draft , 1964
box 1
"Einleitung" and "Lehrjahre" drafts and correspondence , 1965
Language: German .
box 1
"Yearbook of Comparative and General Literature," published copy , 1965
box 1
"More Shakespeare and Less Aeschylus," drafts and reprint , 1966
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill and the Royal Dramatic Theatre of Stockholm," reprint , 1967
box 1
"Comparative Literature Today," reprint , 1971
box 1
"Amerikanische Dramatiker," published copy , 1973
box 1
"College of Arts of the University of Riyadh," draft , 1975
box 1
"Comparative Literature Today," reprint , 1976
box 1
"East-West Literary Relations: Outside Looking In," reprint , 1976
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill, a Contemporary American Playwright," published copy , 1976
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill and China," reprint , 1979
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill and the European Connection," published copy , 1979
box 1
"Three Decades of Comparative Literature," published copy , 1980
box 1
"Marco Millions," published copy , 1981
box 1
"The Good German," unpublished final version , 1988
box 1
"Adolescence and 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'" , undated
box 1
"Alexander Tairov and the 1930 World Tour of the Kamerny Theater," draft and published copy , undated
box 1
"Alfred Nobel's 'Explosive' Prize and World Literature," drafts , undated
box 1
"American Dramatists on the Stage and before the Theater Critics of the Federal Republic," drafts , undated
box 1
"Amerikanische Dramatiker auf den Bühnen und vor der Theaterkritik der Bundesrepublik, 19451965" , undated
box 1
"Amerikanische Dichter und Dichtkunst,"drafts , undated
box 1
"Appreciation of Drama" , undated
box 1
"Berkley Campbell's My Partner in Berlin" , undated
box 1
Böll, Heinrich, miscellaneous writings , undated
box 1
"Comments on Thomas Wolfe" , undated
box 1
"Comparative Literature for Undergraduates," reprint , undated
box 1
"The English Social Problem Play from the French Revolution to Galsworthy," draft , undated
box 1
"Eugene O'Neill and the Modern Drama," draft , undated
box 1
"From Ibsen to O'Neill: Cultural Ties between the Old and New Worlds," draft , undated
box 1
"From O'Neill to Albee," draft , undated
box 1
"German Criticism of American Drama," published copy , undated
box 1
Göttingens berühmle Amerikaner , undated
box 2
Hauptmann, Gerhardt, miscellaneous writings , undated
Physical Description: (2 folders)
box 2
"History of Comparative Literature at Indiana University" , undated
Language: German .
box 2
"Horst Frenz and John Hess: American Literature in the German Republic," drafts , undated
box 2
"Introduction" Gerhart Hauptmann draft , undated
box 2
"Long Day's Journey into Night: The First Performance," published copy , undated
box 2
Mann, Thomas, miscellaneous writings , undated
box 2
"Maxwell Anderson in Post-War Germany," draft , undated
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements: 3 folders
box 2
"Nationales und Übernationales in der Amerikanische Literatur," draft , undated
box 2
"Nobel Lectures," draft , undated
box 2
"Nobelpreis und Weltliterature,"published copy , undated
box 2
"North American Drama and the Western Stage," drafts , undated
box 2
"A Note on Poetic Drama: Anderson, T.S. Eliot, Archibald MacLeish," draft , undated
box 2
"O'Neill, Eugene, miscellaneous writings , undated
box 2
"Preface," reprint , undated
box 2
"The Novel," draft , undated
box 2
Obwohl auf den ersten Blick" draft , undated
box 2
Original Notes plus appendix A and B – n , undated
box 2
"A Present Day View of Eugene O'Neill's Dramatic Work," draft , undated
box 2
"The Reception of Contemporary American Literature" drafts , undated
box 2
Shaw, George Bernard, miscellaneous writings , undated
Physical Description: (2 folders)
box 2
"The Stage History of Shelley's The Cenci" , undated
box 2
Tennessee Williams and His German Critics , undated
Physical Description: 5 folders
box 2
"Thomas Wolfe's Mannerhouse on the German Stage", drafts , undated
Physical Description: 2 folders
box 2
"Thornton Wilder und Deutschland," drafts , undated
Physical Description: (2 folders)
box 2
Thornton Wilder and Germany , undated
Language: German .
box 2
Untitled drafts , undated
box 2
Various essay drafts , undated
box 2
Whitman and Rolleston: A Correspondence , drafts and notes , undated
Physical Description: (5 folders)
box 2
Whitman, Walt, miscellaneous writings , undated
box 2
Wilder, Thornton, miscellaneous writings , undated
Series:
Correspondence , 1935-1990, undated
box 2
Comparative Literature Program inquiries , undated
box 2
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Amerikastudien , 1989
box 3
General Correspondence , 1935-59
Physical Description: (2 folders)
box 3
General Correspondence , 1954-1957
box 2
General Correspondence , 1960-1969
Physical Description: (2 folders)
box 2
General Correspondence , 1970-1979
Physical Description: (2 folders)
box 2
General Correspondence , 1980-1990
box 2
General Correspondence , undated
box 2
Guggenheim Memorial Foundation , 1967-1968
box 2
Hatfield, W. Wilber , 1943-47
box 2
Japan Foundation , 1974-1975
box 2
Kery, Laszlo , 1971, 1974
box 2
Kretzoi, Charlotte , 1971, 1975
box 2
Kunst, Arthur E. , 1975-1977
box 2
Lang, Hans Joachim , 1962-1973
Physical Description: (2 folders)
box 3
Pochmann, Henry , 1952-1958
box 3
Sachithanden, Vaithinathaswami , 1963-1968
box 3
Söter, Istvan , 1965-1974
box 3
Sutton, Joseph L. , 1961-1966
box 3
Thompson, Ewa , 1969-1973
box 3
Tsukimura, Reiko , 1977-1978
box 3
Vajda, Gyorgy M. , 1972-1977
Series:
Professional activity , 1938-1990, undated
box 3
Actes du VII Congrès de l'Association Internationale de Littèrature Comparee - Opening Address invitation , undated
box 3
Address to the American (ACLA) , undated
box 3
Address at Attila University , 1978
box 3
Address to the Third Annual Meeting of the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA) , undated
box 3
American Comparative Literature Association Report on Professional Standards , undated
box 3
American Contributions to the Cultural Life of the Occupied Areas (study project) , undated
box 3
American Council of Learned Societies , undated
box 3
American Philosophical Society Grants , 1962, 1979
box 3
Area and Language Studies reports , 1944
box 3
Comparative Literature and the Arts Grant Project , 1979
box 3
Contract for "Writers of the Western World , 1965
box 3
Delta Phi Alpha certificate , 1939
box 3
English 501 The Technical Vocabulary of Literary Scholarship , undated
box 3
Eugene O'Neill-World Dramatist Grant Project , undated
Physical Description: 2 folders
box 3
Faculty workload , 1955-1956
box 3
German Area Course , undated
box 3
Graduate school research , 1945-1950
box 3
Indiana University Board of Trustees recognition , 1981, undated
box 3
Indiana University Comparative Literature Dept. Faculty Annual Report , 1942-1966
box 3
Lecture publicity , 1939-1980
box 3
National Humanities Center Fellowship Selection Announcement , 1979
box 3
NEH Curriculum Grant , 1974-1977
box 3
Newberry Library Conference on American Studies , 1961
box 3
Reviews , 1940-1984, undated
box 3
Miscellaneous , 1961-1984, undated
box 3
Whitman and Rolleston: A Correspondence , 1951-1954
box 3
Seminar Description, From Ibsen to Albee: A Comparative Approach to the American and European Drama , undated
box 3
United States Educational Commission Germany Fulbright , 1964
box 3
Updating of Ph.D. graduate listing , 1985
box 3
Virginia Military Institute Appointment Announcement , 1974
box 3
Visiting Lectureship, University of Szeged , 1976
box 3
Witman and Rolleston reviews and correspondence , 1951-1953
Processing Information: 2 folders
Series:
Subject Files , 1905-1989, undated
box 3
ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) , 1962-1977
box 3
A.V., Lunacharsky , undated
box 3
Baynard Taylor bibliography , undated
box 3
A Bibliography of Critical Writings on the Drama of August Strindberg , 1949
box 3
Bibliography of the Department of English , 1989
box 3
Bibliography of the Department of English , undated
box 3
Das Rathaus in Hamburg , undated
box 3
Dreiser, Theodore , undated
box 3
Entrace papers under Lewy , undated
box 3
Exhibition program , 1935-1961
box 3
Gerhart Hauptmann's "The Weavers" flyer , 1973
box 3
Gilette, William , 1905, 1940, undated
box 3
Home is a Foreign Country , 1980
box 3
Indiana University , 1940-1949, 1961, 1981
Box 4
Indiana University Comparative Literature , 1949-1980, undated
Box 4
International Comparative Literature Association , 1961-1989
Box 4
Matei Calinescu CV , 1975
Box 4
Moravia, Alberto , undated
Box 4
NDEA (National Defense Education Act) Title IV , 1962-1965
Box 4
Naturalization , 1940-1948, undated
Box 4
Photocopy of "Mourning becomes Electra" notes , undated
Box 4
"The Playwright and the Atomic World," by Arthur Miller , undated
Box 4
Report of the Mucia Team to the University of Riyadh , 1975
Physical Description: 2 folders
Box 4
"Saturday Review of Literature" , 1949
Box 4
Schnitzler, Arthur , 1951, undated
Box 4
Shaw, George Bernard , 1956; undated
Box 4
Tennessee Williams , 1947
Box 4
The Theatre Annual , 1953
Box 4
Theatre Kamerny program , undated
Box 4
Twelfth Newberry Library Conference on American Studies , 1961
Box 4
Walt Whitman Bibliography , undated
Box 4
Welleck, Rene , 1962-1973