David Kettler, with whom this project began and on whose ideas it is based, describes First Letters in the context of the German-speaking emigration between 1933 and 1945 “as opening moves in a (re)negotiation of relations under conditions of uncertainty.” These moves can begin as well in exile as in Germany or Austria. Implicitly connected with this are at least two simple and, at the same time, fundamental questions: Who am I? And Who am I in relation to you you? According to David Kettler, it is a matter of questions of recognition or, I would like to add, of questions of denying as well as granting recognition. Then, however, it is also a matter of exploring, in a kind of meta-thematization, “which questions are considered negotiable and which are not.”

First letters are, first of all, not first impressions or first social contacts. They are rather documents that build on previous social contacts. They have a history, and this prehistory, filled with practical life experiences, may have taken very different courses and rest on different social constellations and starting points. To remain in the academic domain for the sake of simplicity, the correspondence can be between former colleagues, teachers, and students, or even scholars known only through the literature, persons known through hearsay, and so on can write to each other; but former scholarly competitors can also correspond; friends, spouses, people who love or have loved each other, and, yes, even erstwhile strangers can take up direct or indirect contact or correspond with each other. In this, the prehistory of the respective partners or the prehistory of the respective relationship will always have an effect on the renewed initiation of a relationship, so that there is no “zero point” of life-practical contacts. Expressed in the concepts of Ulrich Oevermann: We recognize a generating parameter, which a social reality has generated, and the interacting ones can and must then make decisions and choose options against this background.

To take up the chess metaphor also mentioned by David Kettler: The chessboard is standing, and the pieces are not only set up, but the game has already begun; it was in progress and has only been interrupted—for a more or less long time.