Gerda Nischan Papers

1930, 1946-1947, 1976-2016
Manuscript Collection #1000
Portions of this collection are digitized (56 items)
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Creator(s)
Nischan, Gerda, 1940-; August von Goethe Literaturverlag
Physical description
1.0 Cubic Feet, 2 document cases, consisting of correspondence, transcripts, publications, poetry, a contract, clippings, curriculum vitae, and photographs
Preferred Citation
Gerda Nischan Papers (#1000), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions

The Gerda Nischan Papers contains letters (1930, 1946-1947), handwritten in German between Otto Baumann and his wife, Barbara Hock, all but one written during the time Baumann was a German soldier in a French prisoner of war camp, 1946-1947, and typescripts in English by Baumann's daughter, Gerda Nischa, including an explanation of the letters, and 7 poems inspired by the letters. In 2010 Gerda Nischan wrote a book based on the letters titled Briefe an einen Kriegsgefangenen, an English translation written in 2014 (Letters to a Prisoner of War), and a novel in German (2013) called Dieses neue Leben which are included in these papers.

Biographical/historical information

Gerda Nischan of Frankenthal, Germany was born on March 24th, 1940. Her father was a German soldier in a French POW camp from 1946-1947. She attended local schools until she left for Switzerland in 1958. Later she moved to England to attend an International Language School to further her education. In 1967 she left for the United States to work at the German Consulate in Philadelphia, and she met her future husband in 1967 while working there. The Nischans moved to Greenville, NC, in 1969, when Bodo accepted a position on the East Carolina University History Department faculty. After her move to North Carolina she started writing seriously and joined the East Carolina University Poetry Forum. She published many of her poems in Poetry Journals and started giving readings of her work in the U.S. as well as in Germany. In recent years she has published several books both fiction and non-fiction.

Scope and arrangement

Most notably the papers contain hand written letters between Nischan's parents Otto Baumann and Barbara Hock. All but one were written during the time Baumann was a German soldier in a French POW camp, (1946-1947). There are typescripts in English by Nischan, including an explanation of the letters (2004), a translation of the first letter and 7 poems inspired by the letters.

Also included is correspondence with Ralph Hardee Rives, a retired East Carolina University English professor, spanning the years 2002 to 2009 in which Rives discusses his political beliefs, former colleagues, contemporary political figures such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, and John Kerry and Teresa Heinz, and international political affairs such as terrorism, the Venezuelan government and Fidel Castro. Much of the correspondence is light and conversational and many are Christmas cards or "notes".

Also included in the papers are Nischan's curriculum vitae, donor requests from ECU, certificates recognizing her donations to various organizations, a publishing agreement (1976), information on book signing events, a Neue Literatur! article featuring Gerda, correspondence in German, a contract for a book signing event, assorted newspaper articles, a photograph of Gerda at Book Fair in Leipzeig and a signed copies of Nischan's books Briefe an einen Kriegsgefangenen, Letters to a Prisoner of War, and Dieses Neu Leben.

Administrative information
Custodial History

May 4, 2004, 49 items, 0.02 cubic feet; Letters (1930, 1946-1947, 2004), handwritten in German between Otto Baumann and his wife, Barbara Hock, all but one written during the time Baumann was a German soldier in a French prisoner of war camp, 1946-1947; and typescripts in English by Baumann's daughter, Gerda Nischan, including an explanation of the letters, 4/23/2004, a translation of the first letter, 9/24/1930; and 7 poems inspired by the letters. Holographs and Typescripts. In English and German language. Donor: Ms. Gerda Nischan

April 22, 2005, (addition 1) 7 items, 0.002 cubic feet; Translations and transcriptions (3/28 - 6/7/1946) of letters from a German soldier, Otto Baumann, to his wife, Barbara Baumann, while serving as a prisoner of war in France after World War II; also, photographs of Otto and Barbara Baumann (ca. 1929, 1946). Donor: Ms. Gerda Nischan

April 22, 2009, (addition 2) 143 items, 0.75 cubic feet; Papers (ca. 1982-2009) including correspondence form Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives, her curriculum vita, documentation concerning Mrs. Nischan's charitable donations, and correspondence concerning the North Carolina German Studies Seminar and Workshop series. See preliminary inventory. Donor: Gerda Nischan

July 17, 2011, (addition 3) 5 items, 0.027 cubic feet; Book (2010) titled Briefe an einen Kriegsgefangenen written by Gerda Nischan based on letters written by her parents while her father Otto Baumann was a German soldier in a French prisoner of war camp after World War II; a photograph of Gerda Nischan at the book fair in Leipzig, Germany (March 2011), where her book was formally presented; and newspaper clippings concerning the reading she gave from her new book in her hometown of Frankenthal, Germany. Donor: Gerda Nischan

May 29, 2013, (addition 4) 2 items, 0.025 cubic feet;Addition includes Neue Literatur! Catalogue for 2012 put out by August Von Goethe Literaturverlag which contains information about Gerda Nischan and her 2010 book Briefe an einen Kriegsgefangenen, and a card promoting her upcoming novel Dieses Neue Leben to be published in 2013 by August von Goethe Literaturverlag. Donor: Gerda Nischan

August 7, 2015, (addition 5) 0.053 cubic feet; Addition (1976, 2011-2014) contains documents, clippings, and correspondence (mostly in German) related to the publishing and promotion of publications by Gerda Nischan including Red Sky in the Night, Briefe an einen Kriegsgefangenen, and Dieses neue Leben. Also included are autographed copies of her books Dieses neue Leben (in German) and Letters to a Prisoner of War (in English). Donor: Gerda Nischan

April 13, 2021, (unprocessed addition 6) 0.25 cubic feet; This addition includes material (1982-2016) related mostly to the personal life of Gerda Nischan. Included are correspondence (1987-2013) in English and German, poetry written in German, material (2001-2009) related to honoring her deceased husband ECU Renaissance History Professor Dr. Bodo Nischan, material related to friend and Renaissance Historian Dr. John M. Headly, and photographs of both Gerda and Bodo Nischan. Also included is a manuscript combining Gerda Nischan's account of her April 27, 2015, stroke and work towards recovery and her son Michael Uwe Nischan's updates on her health covering the same period April 27 through August 28, 2015. This manuscript is accompanied by 2016 correspondence in German from her longtime publisher August von Goethe Literaturverlag. Gift of Gerda Nischan

Source of acquisition

Gift of Ms. Gerda Nischan

Processing information

Encoded by Lindsay Flood, April 3, 2008

Processing completed January 20, 2017, by Megan Turner.

Copyright notice

Copyright and literary property rights are retained by the donor for publications she wrote. Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration
Language of material

German and English

Key terms
Personal Names
Baumann, Otto--Correspondence
Hock, Barbara--Correspondence
Nischan, Gerda, 1940-
Rives, Ralph Hardee--Correspondence
Topical
Prisoners of war--France
Prisoners of war--Germany
Soldiers--Germany
War poetry, German
Women authors, American--North Carolina--Greenville
Women authors, German
World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, French
Container list
Box 1 Folder c Correspondence from Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives
Box 1 Folder d Correspondence from Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives
Box 1 Folder e Correspondence from Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives
Box 1 Folder f Correspondence from Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives
Box 1 Folder g Correspondence from Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives
Box 2 Folder a Correspondence from Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives
Box 2 Folder b Correspondence from Dr. Ralph Hardee Rives
Box 2 Folder c Nischan's curriculum vita, documentation concerning Mrs. Nischan's charitable donations, and correspondence concerning the North Carolina German Studies Seminar and Workshop series
Box 2 Folder d Autographed copy of Briefe an einen Kriegsgeangenen, photograph, German newspaper articles
Box 2 Folder e Issue of the catalogue Neue Literatur! featuring article with Gerda Nischan, promotional card for her novel Dieses neu Lieben
Box 2 Folder f Documents, clippings and correspondence related to the publishing and promotion of publications by Gerda Nischan including Red Sky in the Night, Briefe an einen Iriegsgefangenen and Dieses neue Leben. Autographed copies of her books Dieses neue Leben in German and Letters to a Prisoner of War in English
Box 2 Folder g Autographed copy of Dieses neue Leben and Letters to a Prisoner of War
Box 2 Folder h Photographs of Gerda Nischan and Bodo Nischan.
Box 2 Folder i Materials related to Renaissance History Professor Dr. John M. Headly (2002-2015) including correspondence, curriculum vita, journal article, toast written to celebrate Gerda Nischan's 75th birthday, and photographs (not on photographic paper).
Box 2 Folder j Correspondence, 1987-2011, undated. In German and English.
Box 2 Folder k Correspondence (2005) related to W. Keats Sparrow Distinguished Chair in the Liberal Arts.
Box 2 Folder l Prints of pen and ink drawings (1982, 1991) by Bob and Claire Pittman.
Box 2 Folder m Poetry in German related to Gerda Nischan's parents Otto and Barbara Baumann.
Box 2 Folder n Material (2001-2009) related to memorializing Renaissance Professor Dr. Bodo Nischan. Includes a eulogy presented by Dr. John Rose, a review in Renaissance Quarterly for Confessionalization in Europe, 1555-1700 related to essays in honor of Dr. Nischan, and information about a memorial scholarship, a distinguished professorship, and a Manuscript Collection endowment.
Box 2 Folder o Poetry written in German.
Box 2 Folder p Photographs (not on photographic paper) re a 1997 birthday party for Ariane Clark and Clark's 1998 obituary.
Box 2 Folder q Manuscript (76 pp.) concerning Gerda Nischan's stroke on April 27, 2015, including her description of the stroke and recovery rehab and updates (April 27-August 28, 2015) by her son Michael Uwe Nischan. Also includes 2016 correspondence in German from her longtime publisher August von Goethe Literaturverlag.
Box 2 Folder r Correspondence (2011-2013) in German with Frankfurter Literaturverlag and Frankfurter Verlagsgruppe AG.