Breslau

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 133 SIM/7
  • Dates of Creation
      1837-1840
  • Physical Description
      216 pieces. Condition: many pieces are abraded on edges.

Scope and Content

The seventh volume contains papers recording the period after Heinrich Simon's return to Breslau, his employment at the court in Breslau as deputy of his brother-in-law, Heinrich Gräff, and, connected with it, his literary work mainly in the area of law. During the period covered Heinrich Simon also went on several journeys, for example to Austria, Switzerland and France. Material includes correspondence, notes, drafts, publishing contracts, passports, post-coach tickets, personal accounts, leaflets, booklets, pages from newspapers and miscellaneous items. Records relating to Heinrich Simon's employment as a lawyer include a considerable number of letters from the Minister of Justice Mühler concerning Simon's employment and the repeated extensions of his vacation from the Oberlandesgericht (Supreme District Court) Frankfurt (Oder) and later from the Oberlandesgericht Breslau, when he was deputizing for Heinrich Gräff. The vacation enabled Simon to concentrate on his literary work. Letter dated 2 Aug 1837, rejecting his application for a post (Land- und Stadtgerichtsdirektor) at the court in Landshut because there were several older applicants (11); letters dated 3 Sep 1837, 8 Nov 1837, 26 Feb 1838 and 18 Jul 1838, granting holiday extensions (8, 10-13); letter dated 23 Mar 1838, asking Heinrich Simon if he wants to take a post at the Oberlandesgericht Breslau which has recently become vacant, including a draft of Heinrich Simon's reply declining the offer because of his different career plans (46); letter dated 3 Dec 1838, in answer to his application of 28 Nov 1838 (see piece 79, draft of the application), permitting Heinrich Simon to join the Oberlandesgericht Breslau after his holidays, with a statement of his salary (78); letter dated 5 Apr 1839, concerning the order of 3 Dec 1838, asking Heinrich Simon if he wants to join the Oberlandesgericht Breslau from 1 Jun 1839 as an Assessor, including a draft of Heinrich Simon's answer in which he announces that he is sending with the letter parts 28-30 of the book he is working on (95); letter dated 27 Apr 1839, announcing his employment as Assessor at the Oberlandesgericht Breslau from 1 Jun 1839 and approving the extension of his holidays until 1 Nov 1839 (107); letter dated 25 Feb 1840, enquiring if Heinrich Simon wants to transfer to the Oberlandesgericht Bromberg for a year from 1 Apr 1840 with special reimbursement, including a draft of Heinrich Simon's answer (162); concerning this letter see also the letter from uncle Heinrich Simon to Heinrich Simon (163); letter dated 4 Mar 1840, concerning the post in Bromberg and the associated requirement to abandon the post of Assessor at the court in Breslau, including a draft of Heinrich Simon's answer (165); letter dated 16 Apr 1840, approving Heinrich Simon's application for an extension of his holidays because of his literary work for a year from 1 Jun 1840, and announcing the employment of another person as his deputy (189).

In addition, there are letters from Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt (Oder) to Heinrich Simon concerning a repayment to the salary office, dated 23 Nov 1837 (45), and dismissing him from his employment in Frankfurt because of his transfer to Breslau, dated 14 May 1839 (97); a list of legal cases on which Heinrich Simon had to work from 1 Nov 1839 (137); and a letter from the Ministry of War to Heinrich Simon concerning his criticism of a legal order and his request to repeal it (94).

His literary work is recorded in documents such as contracts, drafts and newspaper cuttings and is the subject of several letters: contract between Heinrich Simon and the Bookshop Aderholz concerning his collaboration in a partly published book about additions and explanations of the Prussian Statute Books by legislation and science edited by Heinrich Gräff, C. F. Koch, Ludwig von Rönne, Heinrich Simon and A. Wentzel (1), [see also vol. 6 (390)]; contract between Ludwig von Rönne and Heinrich Simon on the one side and bookseller Aderholz on the other regarding the conditions of von Rönne's and Simon's collaboration in the publication of the above book (2); a letter from lawyer (Kreisjustizrat und Justizkommissarius) Dr Strass, who had recently assumed the editorship of the literary paper appearing in Brandenburg, asking Heinrich Simon for contributions, dated Berlin 6 Aug 1837 (22); a letter from a colleague to Heinrich Simon concerning the Staats-Zeitung (state newspaper), dated Berlin 20 Apr 1838 (44); a handwritten letter from the editorial office of the Staats-Zeitung to the provinces concerning changes to the newspaper and asking for information on certain subjects (48); a letter from chief editor of the Staats-Zeitung to Heinrich Simon informing him of his retirement, dated Berlin 10 Aug 1838 (51); cuttings from Centralblatt für Preussische Juristen (central paper for Prussian lawyers) from 10 Nov 1838, columns 1073-1080 and 1101-1104, including marginal notes made by Heinrich Simon (71); contract between bookseller Aderholz on the one side and von Rönne and Simon on the other for the publication of a book concerning the edict of 14 Dec 1833, dated Breslau 10 Jun 1839 (106); drafts of the contract (103, 104); contract between Aderholz on one side and von Rönne and Simon on the other about the publication of a legal book, dated 8 Nov 1839 (143); a copy of the contract (144); an addition to the contract, dated Breslau 1 Jan 1840 (145); a letter from Aderholz to von Rönne, dated 7 Jan 1840 (146); a receipt for three books, dated 6 Jan 1840 (147); a letter from von Rönne to Heinrich Simon (148); a note from the Bookshop Jonas for Heinrich Simon (150); a letter from the Bookshop Jonas to Heinrich Simon (151); Breslauer Zeitung, no. 35, dated 11 Feb 1840 (158/158a); a letter with a royalty receipt for Heinrich Simon (170); advertisement of the Basse'sche Bookshop in Quedlinburg concerning the publication of a book about wine-growing involving Heinrich Simon, dated 5 Jul 1840 (179, 180); supplement of the Breslauer Zeitung, no. 240, dated 13 Oct 1840, including a map of Emperor Ferdinand's northern railway (187, 188); and a letter from the Minister of the Interior and the Police thanking Heinrich Simon and Ludwig von Rönne for sending him the book about the constitution and administration of the Prussian State, dated 20 Jun 1840 (190). In addition, there is a number of drafts, some of which are related to Heinrich Simon's literary work, others being drafts of letters (4-6, 9, 24, 38, 70, 83, 96, 136, 141, 167, 183).

Material referring to the journeys Heinrich Simon undertook includes a page entitled "Tour nach (trip to) Krakau und Wieliczka Oktober 1837" (25); personal accounts (26, 27, 196, 197); post-coach tickets for 23 Oct 1837 from Krakau (Cracow) to Oppeln (28), and 28 Oct 1837 from Brieg to Oppeln (29); a Polish concert programme with calculations on the reverse (30); copy of a letter from the General-Post-Amt (Supreme Post Office) in Berlin concerning priorities in the passenger transport between Oppeln and Breslau, Ratibor (Raciborz) and Krakau (33); Heinrich Simon's passport for travelling abroad from Breslau to Austria, Switzerland and France, valid for six month, issued 20 Jun 1838 (57); customs import form (198); Heinrich Simon's customs declaration in Linz, Austria, dated 26 Sep 1840 (199); a bill from an inn in Vienna (199a); a theatre programme, dated 28 Sep 1840 (200); post-coach ticket, dated 29 Sep 1840 (201); a post-coach ticket for Neustadt to Breslau, dated 1 Oct 1840 (202); and Heinrich Simon's passport for travelling abroad, issued 6 Sep 1840 (203/204).

The volume also contains several miscellaneous items such as notes (52, 56, 77, 216a); a pencil drawing showing a portrait of a man sitting on a table drawing a portrait (42); a list of presents with the names of the recipients (107a); a printed leaflet from the Berlinische Lebens-Versicherungs- Gesellschaft (Life Insurance Society in Berlin) (100); the last will of Friedrich Wilhelm III published by his son Friedrich Wilhelm IV on the occasion of his assumption of office after his father's death, dated 12 Jun 1840, including remarks made by Heinrich Simon (181); the visiting card of Dr E. Gmelin (197a); a booklet invitation from the Royal Grammar School in Breslau for the celebration of Friedrich Wilhelm IV's birthday on 15 Oct 1840 and the public examination on 13/14 Oct 1840 (208); and a letter from the chief of police to Heinrich Simon concerning the removal of firewood from the road, dated Breslau 12 Dec 1840 (216).

The correspondence involves Heinrich Simon, his family and a number of friends and colleagues. The occupations and events referred to above were also subjects in some of the letters. Heinrich Simon wrote letters to his close family (194) and, together with Gustav Simon, (195); to his father (92); to his uncle Heinrich Simon (3), e.g. concerning the circumstances of his change to Breslau, his views on it and his literary work; to Hermine Simon (40); and to one of his aunts (109). Letters were written to Heinrich Simon by: his close family (7, 31, 86, 91, 126, 133); his father, addressed to Heinrich Gräff in Paris (118, 121) and in Strassburg (120), addressed to Heinrich Simon in Geneva (125/125a), in Algiers (128) and in Genoa (129); Gustav Simon (93, 131, 214); Hermine Simon (37, 127); Heinrich Gräff (32, 119, 134, 177), only the last page of piece 119 surviving, piece 134 including an expenditure list; uncle Heinrich Simon (34, 35, 72, 76, 156, 157, 173); Max Simon (85, 178); Rudolph Simon (60, 61); Lewald (82, 212); Johann Carl Lewald and his wife (176), inviting Heinrich Simon to the wedding of their daughter Minna Lewald and Herrmann Haberkern on 23 Apr 1840; Ferdinand Fischer (87, 110, 113); cousin Lüttke (111, 117); Cécilie Gräff, sister of Heinrich Gräff (142); Marie Förster (153/153a); Elisa Selbstherr and Lieutenant Simon from Magdeburg, announcing their engagement with notes from Herrmann Simon (154); his former school teacher Eduard Kaiser (207); Julius Hoffmann (88, 159); von Rönne (64, 116, 191-193); von Hugo, announcing the birth of his son, dated Glogau 12 Jun 1839 (114); Dr Ferdinand Müller (172); and friends, colleagues and other people (18, 20, 21, 23, 36, 39, 41, 50, 53-55, 58, 59, 62, 63, 65- 69, 73-75, 80, 89, 90, 101, 102, 108, 115, 117, 124, 130, 132, 139, 140, 155, 160, 161, 164, 166, 168, 169, 174, 175, 182, 184-186, 206, 209-211, 213, 215). Pieces 63, 65 and 130 are written in French.

In addition, there are: a letter from Heinrich Simon in which he expresses his strong conviction that he is going to die of cholera in the next few days, dated 15 Jul 1837 (19); a letter from Heinrich Simon (43); a letter from Leipzig to Friedrich Lewald (84); a letter from Herrmann Simon to Antonie Simon (138); a letter to von Rönne, and a letter from Herrmann Simon to a colleague (205).