Peter Viereck papers, 1815-2006

Summary Information

Abstract

The papers of the historian, poet, and conservative political theorist Peter Viereck (1916-2006), his father, George Sylvester Viereck (1884–1962), and other family members.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in ten series.

• Series I: Correspondence, 1926-2005
• Subseries I.1: Individual Correspondents, 1926-2005
• Subseries I.2: Institutions and Subjects, 1936-2005
• Series II: Research Notes and Clippings, 1815-2005
• Series III: Drafts and Outlines, 1930s-2001
• Series IV: Reviews and Criticism of Viereck's Work, 1940s-2003
• Series V: Photographs, 1937-2000
• Series VI: George S. Viereck, 1903-1989
• Series VII: Margaret Hein Viereck and Other Family Members, 1911-1979
• Series VIII: Subject Files, 1935-2004
• Series IX: Personal Documents and Artifacts, 1933-1993
• Series X: Audiovisual Material, 1985-1997

Description

Summary

The collection includes letters, manuscripts, documents, photographs, tapes, printed material, and memorabilia of Peter Viereck (1916-2006) and those of his father, George Sylvester Viereck (1884-1962), and mother, Margaret Hein Viereck. Some of the notable correspondents are Daniel Boorstin, Joseph Brodsky, Sigmund Freud, W.V.O. Quine, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., George Bernard Shaw, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and William Carlos Williams. There are extensive files of manuscripts of Viereck's work, as well as those of his father. In addition, there are numerous files which contain photographs of the Viereck family and their friends and associates.

• Series I: Correspondence, 1926-2005

  The correspondence is extensive and wide-ranging. There are many prominent writers, politicians, philosophers and poets and historians noted, such as: George Santayana; Henry Cabot Lodge; C. S. Lewis; Wendell Willkie; W. H. Auden; Robert Graves; Wallace Stevens; Carl Sandburg; Stephen Spender; Susan Sontag; and George Santayana. There are also significant files of family correspondence.

• Series II: Research Notes and Clippings, 1815-2005

  Series II is composed of newspaper clippings and documents related to Viereck's interests. Some of the more widely researched topics include Russian History, prominent Russian politicians, Conservatism, Marxism and Socialism, Nazis, German History and politics.

• Series III: Drafts and Outlines, 1930s-2001

  Series III contains drafts for Viereck's poems, essays, articles, and books. The series also has a small amount of reviews written by Viereck as well as lectures and some translations. Records are arranged alphabetically by title.

• Series IV: Reviews and Criticism of Viereck's Work, 1940s-2003

  Series IV holds reviews of Viereck's writings. These reviews are of both his books and collections of his poems. This series is arranged alphabetically by title.

• Series V: Photographs, 1937-2000

  This small series is composed of photographs of the Viereck family. The bulk of the photographs are undated.

• Series VI: George S. Viereck, 1903-1989

  Series VI contains an extensive and rich collection of papers relating to the life and work of George Sylvester Viereck. These files shed light on the complex relationship between Peter Viereck and his controversial father. There are important files on the trial and imprisonment of George Sylvester Viereck for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as well as his correspondence, writings and interviews.

• Series VII: Margaret Hein Viereck and Other Family Members, 1911-1979

  Series VII is comprised of personal documents belonging to Margaret and other Viereck family members. Birth certificates, diplomas, wills, passports, financial documents, and related correspondence are held in this series.

• Series VIII: Subject Files, 1935-2004

  Series VIII contains subject files concerning Peter Viereck and his family. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic.

• Series IX: Personal Documents and Artifacts, 1933-1993

  This small series contains some of the Viereck family's personal documents such as address books, wills, educational records, death notices, and military records.

• Series X: Audiovisual Material, 1985-1997

  Series X is composed of various lectures and poetry readings on audio and video cassettes.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection has no restrictions.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Peter Viereck Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accrual

No additions are expected

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Ownership and Custodial History

Purchase from Lame Duck Books, July 2006.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

2006-2007-M11: Method of acquisition--Purchase; Date of acquisition--2006 July.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Papers semi-processed Elena Locascio, SUNY Geneseo, 2011, Darragh Martin, GSAS 2011 2007-2009.

Revision Description

2010-11-23 File created.

0210-11-30 xml document instance created by Lea Osborne

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical Note

Peter Viereck (1916-2006) was a seminal figure in American conservative thought as well as an award-winning poet and historian who won Guggenheim Fellowships in both poetry and history. Viereck wrote prolifically on politics and intellectual history, and published over a dozen collections of poetry, most recently Door: Poems (2005). In 1949 Viereck won the Pulitzer Prize for his first book of poems, Terror and Decorum. Often credited with launching and naming the modern conservative intellectual movement in the late 1940s, Viereck later criticized its direction and deplored Senator Joseph McCarthy for betraying authentic conservative values. He was professor of Russian and European history at Mount Holyoke College for nearly fifty years

Peter Viereck's father, George Sylvester Viereck (1884-1962), played a prominent role in the literary and cultural scene of early twentieth-century America, inspiring and serving as the first secretary of the Poetry Society of America. As a free-lance writer for publications including The Saturday Evening Post, George Sylvester Viereck interviewed many leading figures, including Albert Einstein and Adolph Hitler, and was a friend of Sigmund Freud. During World War II, the elder Viereck's standing was destroyed by his support for Nazi Germany as a paid propagandist. He was arrested and jailed for five years as an unregistered agent of Germany, although espionage charges against him were ultimately dropped. During his imprisonment, his younger son died in U.S. military service at Anzio, Italy, deepening George Sylvester Viereck's rift with his elder son Peter, who served as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst during the war. Peter Viereck had already diagnosed the evils of Nazi Germany in his book Metapolitics: From the Romantics to Hitler, begun at Harvard in 1936 and first published three months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.