[by XLS and HH]

As a result of the conference on reconstruction, a history and archives enthusiast contacted us to send us this autograph document of the Master of Freiburg, the content of which bears witness to the depth of his thinking. The Observatory is very proud to share this unpublished document with the scientific community and to provide the first philological edition!

The document, facsimile

Here is the document in harsh light, as it has reached us.

Diplomatic edition of the archive

The language and typography are hardly a problem. The machine used is undoubtedly a Mercedes Prima 1930 as evidenced by the characteristic scrolls of the "a" and, something original, the American chevrons which looked very modern in academic circles. The text is remarkably preserved and reads without difficulty. Here is the diplomatic edition of the content:

Der Rektor der Albert Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i. Br., den 8. January 2022. Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin! Mit diesem Schreiben wende ich mich an Sie im Rahmen eines Antrags auf Rechtsschutz. Ich habe nämlich festgestellt, daß mein Name bei dem sogenannten »Kolloquium« über den sogenannten »Wiederaufbau« genannt wurde. Ich fordere Sie daher gemäß Artikel 40 der französischen Strafprozessordnung auf, dem Staatsanwalt alle begangenen Verbrechen and Vergehen anzuzeigen, und möglichst rasch alle erdenklichen Mittel einzusetzen, um meinen Rechtsschutz zu gewährleisten. Mit vorzüglicher kollegialer Hochachtung! Prof. Dr. Martin Heidegger

Translation

The content is, as always, difficult to convey, as the language of the philosopher subsumes the thought that annihilates it. Some expressions used are common in the German language of the 30s, such as "Antrags auf Rechtsschutz" - which is difficult to understand today. What request is this? Only great specialists like Mrs. Nathalie Drach-Temam will one day be able to tell us. At the risk of distorting the message - but the excitement is at its peak - here is the new content:

Dear Madam President! With this writing, I am addressing you in the context of a request for legal protection. I have noticed that my name was mentioned in the so-called "colloquium" on the so-called "reconstruction". I therefore urge you, in accordance with Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, to report to the public prosecutor all crimes and offences committed, and to implement as soon as possible all possible means to ensure my legal protection. With preferential collegial respect! Prof. Dr. Martin Heidegger

Conclusion

Will we ever know to whom this letter is addressed? Mysteries of history and renewed passions for hermeneutics…