Gertrude Hindemith was the wife of Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), a modern violinist and composer. They were born and married in Germany but left after the Nazis rose to power. After spending a brief period in Switzerland, Paul took a job as professor at Yale from 1940 to 1953. In 1953, they moved to Zürich, Switzerland, where this correspondence begins (it seems they had corresponded before this time). Some letters are co-signed by Paul Hindemith.
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"
| # | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| | y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
| 1. |
1953/02/20 |
TLS[x] to Merton |
please forgive this intrusion into your retreat at Lenten time. But this is not supposed to be one |
|
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1953/04/11 |
TLS[x] to Merton |
it seems rather unreal, that we have been walking through the woods of Gethsemani with you a week |
|
recent visit to Gethsemani / sending Whitman Oratorio to Merton and one of Paul Hindemith's new books [A composer's world, horizons and limitations] / "Hitler in Ourselves" article retrieved from Professor Theodore Greene / Paul Hindemith working on his "Cantique"
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1953/12/no? |
HPCS to Merton |
Do you remember those times when you wrote hundreds of Christmas Cards? Every year we say we'll |
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[verso: Christmas and New Years card by Paul and Gertrude Hindemith - third page of letter has a photo of Paul Hindemith]
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1953/no/no? |
TALS[x] to Merton |
this is just a hurried note to thank you for your letter and to demonstrate in what circumstances |
|
[no date - someone has pencilled in 1953 / only dated "Friday 13th" - in 1953, there were such dates in February, March, and November]
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1954/02/10? |
HPCS to Merton |
again it will be a hasty note, we are off for another Concert in |
|
[verso: black and white photographs of Zurich and pieces from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari in Italy]
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1955/11/21? (#01) |
HPCS to Merton |
Just back from Paris, where the Psaume[?] was done with Audience. This booklet is distributed |
|
[verso: black and white photographs of Zurich and pieces from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari in Italy]
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1955/11/21? (#02) |
other |
Ite, angeli veloces par Paul Claudel [-] I CHANT DE TRIOMPHE DU ROI DAVID (Psaume 17) Cantate |
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[musical score with music by Paul Hindemith from 1953 and 1955]
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1956/09/10 |
TALS to Merton |
if all the thoughts we have sent to you in different forms have landed in your vicinity, you must by |
|
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1956/12/no? |
HPCS to Merton |
will you recognize the two of us on this drawing by Paul? It really gives you an idea, how we are |
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[verso: print of a drawing by Paul Hindemith of him in the process of composition in front of a Christmas tree with a lioness (Gertrude) at his feet]
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1959/01/30? |
HPCS to Merton |
to-morrow is your birthday and we feel happy in the idea, that you will have us as your spiritual |
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[verso: color photograph of the United States Steel Building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1959/12/no? |
HPCS to Merton |
Thinking of you so often! We start out for the US in February and there are [-] Concert in New York |
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[verso: Christmas and New Years drawing by Paul Hindemith]
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1960/03/02 (#01) |
TALS[x] from Merton |
Do not think that you are forgotten by me. Yesterday I was in the Louisville Library and played |
|
[to Paul and Gertrude Hindemith]
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1960/03/02 (#02) |
other[x] from Merton |
A Message from the Horizon [-] Look, a naked man, [-] A messenger, |
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[Merton sends Paul and Gertrude Hindemith a typescript of his poem "A Message from the Horizon" inscribed "for Paul and Gertrude Hindemith with warm regards [-] Thomas Merton"]
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1966/08/16 |
HLS[x] from Merton |
Many thanks for the fine book about Paul which brings back to me the memory of his very rich, warm |
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«detailed view» |
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