Five Years: Briefwechsel Book of Letters

11/15/2022

Excerpt Book Analysis annotations and translations

Five Years: Briefwechsel Book of Letters

After reading the SF Gate article published on March 13, 2005 which can be read online here https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Rebuilding-a-pure-Aryan-home-in-the-Paraguayan-2723542.php

The book Five Years: Briefwechsel promised to explain what happened and since it was a great interest of mine, I had to buy a copy.

Five Years: Briefwechsel 2004-2009. Band 1: 2004-2007 was published on July 1, 2011. I found a copy on eBay in 2016. Briefwechsel means correspondence and Band means volume. The book is called “Five Years” but it only covers three years because another volume containing the rest of the book was to be published later on, but it was never published. After so many years it became clear that it never would be published. The book is also completely out of print. I have not seen any used copies for sale for many years. Please contact me directly if you have any questions. The book was frustrating to read. There are so many in jokes and references to unexplained people and concepts that one wants to skim read the text to search for meaningful information.

We will look at some of the letters which are really emails in the book to determine what happened. I don’t feel the emails are truthful. But Five Years: Briefwechsel was considered to be a comic performance by literary critics, so when evaluating the letters do not be overly concerned with truth and facts. Just enjoy the funny irony.

1. To David Woodard | Via Nika Scheidemandel (This is the first email and they are numbered)

Monday, November 29, 200410:40 PM

Dear David Woodard,

Nika Scheidemandel gave me the details of your website, which I have pondered at length. I am the Swiss publisher of a German-language magazine called DER FREUND, indeed, Ms. Scheidemandel wrote an interesting and charming essay related to your work for our very first issue, which I would like to send you via post.

(Der Freund was a quarterly literary magazine that was similar The Believer which is published in San Francisco and ran for eight issues)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Believer_(magazine)

(Nika Scheidemandel’s article about the Dreamachine can be read here http://www.waahr.de/texte/der-traum-der-maschine

I have recently visited Pyongyang for the film festival that was held there in September and noticed on your site you have an affinity towards the Kimjongilia flower. Would you care to write an article or an essay on the subject, for DER FREUND #3? We might also discuss any other ideas that you have.

Depending on the length of the piece, I am afraid we can only pay from 250 to 650 US $ per contributor—though I hope this will not be a factor in deterring you from writing for DER FREUND.

With great respect and all my best wishes,

Christian Kracht Publisher

2. To Christian Kracht | RE: Via Nika Scheidemandel

Wednesday, December 1, 20042:05AM

dear Christian,

thank you for writing, unless I’m dashing off a snippy reply to a stalker, my correspondence tends to strive for the spirit of Nietzsche’s gangasrotogati.
(gangasrotogati is a word that means long like the Ganges River)

about my writing an article for der Freund, i like the idea—and am thinking about how i would go about it. judging from what I’ve seen on the website, it’s a beautiful publication, wonderful that you had an opportunity to attend a film festival in Pyongyang! after a lengthy search, and the cooperation of selfless begonia experts, i eventually located a source of Kimjongilia and expect to receive specimens this or early next week, perhaps i could write about my experience of finding and acquiring and the first steps of cultivating the gorgeous flower, i will be receiving potted specimens as well as bulbs, assuming this constitutes satisfactory subject matter for der Freund, i would like to be paid $666 for the same number of words Ms. Scheidemandel wrote in her as-yet-unseen dreamachine article, minus one. how many would that be? north Korean >popular< music is orchidaceous, so it’s likely my article would embrace that as well, moreover, it seems only fitting that i would provide illustrations—and, perhaps, a Kimjongilia. have you seen Team America? it’s the only movie I’ve ever gone to see four times in one week.

as for Nueva Germania, great news! the normal price is $3,333 per person, your departure point may be any port served by American airlines, there are certainly pleasant surprises in store, as you are signing up for both yourself and dr. Eckhart nickel, i am discounting that amount by 10%—bringing the total to $6,000. with your two reservations, only one seat (of the six) remains available—unless we have a cancellation, i found in Nueva Germania what i sought and didn’t know i had been seeking, and i am greatly looking forward to this return,

all best wishes,

david woodard

3. To DW | Beispiele paranormaler Tonbandstimmen

Tuesday, November30, 2004 8:25PM

Dear David,

This is indeed a wonderful bit of good news. I would like to send you some popular CDs I purchased in Pyongyang but I am afraid they will be impounded by your government. Since I will be in San Francisco airport on December 21 on my way to Mexico City, I will post them to you from SFO, along with a beautiful set of postcards of Kimilsungia which are of course the worthy pride­ censor of the Kimjongilia.

I bought Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble’s »Shine, Jong 11 Peak«, the Man- sundae Art Troupe’s »Long Life and Good Health to the Leader« (which includes »The Star of Korea«) and Kim Gang Suk’s Solo Albums. If you do not have them already they will sweeten your time listening and writing for Der Freund.

Yes, the amount of 666 US $ is line with inc. Nika wrote a total of 10 printed pages, which runs to 5000 words, though we are counting this in German, where words tend to be longer in English. So it is better if your piece is fairly long. I would need to have the essay on the flowering of the Kimjongilia (and please digress by all means) by January 6th at the latest, to give us enough lime to have it translated.

I have not seen the film »Team America« you are referring to, I understand it is Claymation?

Dr. Nickel and I are very much looking forward to joining your revisit to Paraguay. I have not reached him yet as he is in Paris for a few days, but the costs sound reasonable. Does it include airfare from our homes of Kathmandu / Bangkok?

With kind regards,

Christian

PS. Please forgive my halting command of the English language!
(Most people living in Switzerland know English)

TO CK | RE: Beispiele paranormaler Tonbandstimmen

Thursday, December 2, 2004 8:24 AM
(the lack of punctuation in the emails similar to the writing style of the book series Archy and Mehitabel by Don Marquis. Archy the Cockroach was unable to hit the capitalizations keys.)

dear Christian,

your english is fine, certainly not halting, on Tuesday i spoke with my Korean- American Kimjongilia source—who, it turns out, is only sending a potted specimen, not bulbs, however, to my astonishment, he offered to secure me a visa to visit Pyongyang’s Kimjongilia fest in April—which coincides with Arirang! Being in American, i had almost resolved that this would never be possible, he said that if i travel with his Kimjongilia group, the dprk would oversee all details once we’re in the country, oh, i bet they will, of course that will have little impact on my January 6 deadline, but i will at least have further recourse to speak with him about the festival between now and then.

(Alejandro Cao de Benas the founder, president, and only salaried member of the Korean Friendship Association.)

I’ve been listening to a cd of instrumental dprk >pop< music—very happy material, though I’ve yet to identify the titles, i think you would be fine sending CDs here from Thailand—which brings to mind, what’s your best mailing address l right now?

great to have you and your friend aboard for Nueva Germania! i spent much of Tuesday night on the phone with the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Federico Kuke, who grew up in Nueva Germania and moved to Canada 12 years ago. Imagine sitting at your Canadian Mennonite colony’s computer and suddenly finding
your Aryan jungle parents featured on a webpage (which i know you’ve seen already), she did, and emailed/phoned —a very talkative source of new information. for example, her father used to complain about how Mengele would invite him over to his house early in the morning only to scream at the top of his lungs when Mr. Kuck would decline to drink whiskey with him at that hour, oddly, she didn’t know that Herr ilg’s real surname was Mengele—nor did >Mengele< register with her as anything particularly meaningful.

i am grateful for Nika’s connecting us; it looks as though we are venturing into a lot of interesting work in the near future. Team america is indeed a combination of Claymation and marionettes, the reason i mentioned it is that the film’s antagonist is Kim Jong il—and Kimjongilia are featured.

yours truly,

david

5. To CK | NY Times

Saturday, December 4, 2004 3:54PM

Dear Christian,

The New York Times is about to publish an article about the Dreamachine. When asked for Dreamachine news, I directed writer Mark Allen to Der Freund and provided your email address—I hope you don’t mind.

Regards,

David

6. To DW | Friends of DPRK

Sunday, December 5, 2004 12:55AM

Dear David,

I am currently visiting my elderly father in Switzerland and facilitating an inter­ view, and thus find little time to write—I will be back in Bangkok on Dec. 8th only. Your last email mentioned the possibility of you visiting DPRK, I think you should by all means go, esp. during Arirang mass games. My solicitor and I, Michael Aldritch of Hong Kong, are thinking about also visiting the Arirang festivities in April, he showed me the usefulness of visiting DPRK esp. since things are not going well for the Dear Leader at the moment, so we would like to go back and help in any way we can, as the splittist South Korean propaganda machine is working very hard to belittle and ridicule Kim Jong II in any way they can.

Thank you for directing Mr. Allen of the NYT to me. I have much to tell him. One of my authors of DER FREUND is meeting Carmen bin Ladin tomorrow for a 45 minute interview to talk about make-up, here near Geneva, in a secure hotel. It has taken four months to arrange this short interview, which we will print in DER FREUND #3. So I am very very excited, to say the least.
(Carmen bin Laden is a Swiss author. She was a member of the bin Laden family, having entered the family by marriage.)

I am also glad of our correspondence—I feel many fine things will come of it

All the best, Christian

To DW

Wednesday, December 8, 2004 9:05AM

I have spoken to Dr. Nickel in Paris and we agrees that we both will surely join von in Paraguay in April. The 6000 US you have requested—how do you want this remitted? Please elucidate.

I am back in Bangkok now after having dealt with my spurious and tiring swiss family at some length. They are very good people.

Best wishes, Christian

To CK | Re: The spastic elegance of royals
(maybe this is a joke about inbreeding?)

Thursday, December 9, 2004 12:34AM

Dear Christian,

I wonder where you’ll be when you read this—not Kathmandu, as I under­
lain!… Having gleaned something about your dynamic with Dr. Nickel, I feel that your email heralds really great news! Sorry to hear about your having to endure familial shenanigans, though. Surely makeup tips from Carmen bin Laden made it worthwhile.

$6,000 US covering both of you (with departure points of Kathmandu and Bangkok) may be remitted, at your convenience, in two possible ways: electronically or via post. If electronic, you would require the following information: /’Kontodaten]Or via post:

Thank you for confirming. This helps me to conceptualize details. I was just speaking with one of my fellow organizers tonight, and it’s looking very likely dial we’ll secure full use of an amazing old house that is located next door to the former Forsterhof.

As for Pyongyang, my special visa (destroying America being paramount to I in the philosophy) is being processed with the assistance of my Korean-American Kimjongilia source—who claims, by the way (and this is consistent with your lime about DPRK’s current sufferings), that Arirang is cancelled for next April. The Kimjongilia festival, though, will occur as scheduled. I would like to confirm this
via another source, and will phone the DPRK Mission in Washington tomorrow—though every time I speak with them I am stunned by how absolutely paranoid, corrupt and deceitful they sound regarding any subject. They behave with exactly the same pathos as the people who work for Dr. Gene Scott, at University Cathedral in Los Angeles. Anyway, I hope that you will visit Pyongyang again while I am there; we’ll find out soon enough whether Arirang is actually cancelled.

(William Eugene Scott August 14, 1929 – February 21, 2005 was an American pastor and teacher who served for almost 50 years as an ordained minister and broadcaster in Los Angeles, California.)

I look forward to hearing the various North Korean music that
mentioned. Did you find evidence, during your visit, that Kim Jong II
posed operas? It is a popular claim, yet I have not been able to find a source I’m
his scores or recordings in any form. When I read that the North Korean Nfu
Agency had issued a story about the DPRK’s first manned space mission, which NORAD debunked within a day or two, I felt the pang that maybe I would
never hear a Kim Jong II opera—because they don’t exist. Oh well, at least Kimjonilia exists.

On December 21 you will be en route to Mexico City. In Sorrows Young Werrher, (The Sorrows of Young Werther is a 1774 epistolary novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe) December 22 is the day IT happens—so beware of triangles on that
date and try to avoid the wearing of golden frockcoats and blue waistcoats on
that date, also.

Good to hear from you. I’ve begun writing my essay. Hope to hear from you again soon.

Best Wishes, David

9. To DW | Re: The spastic elegance of royals

Thursday, December9, 20042:34 AM

Dear David,

Yes indeed I am back home in Bangkok now. Sorry my life & whereabouts are a
bit confusing—I live in the old embassy building of Yugoslavia, which was evacuated upon fractionalization of that state. Our editorial offices of DER FREUND Magazine are in Kathmandu, which is only a two and a half hour
flight from here. We have had to leave the country temporarily, Dr. Nickel to Paris, myself to Bangkok, as there have been death threats towards our magazine from the Maoists in Nepal. I attach their publication cover, which is not half as interesting as we like to think DER FREUND is.

Also, we are not political. I expect us to be able to return to Nepal in January, after things have quieted down a bit there. We are planning to do a tribute issue with Ira Cohen and the works of Charles Henri Ford, who lived in Kathmandu in the seventies and has kindly consented to opening his archives for us.

The interview with Carmen Binladin for DER FREUND #3 went well, her agent had granted my author 40 minutes and Carmen talked to her for over two hours. Her estranged husband Yeslam (brother of O) has launched a new fragrance for men and women, unimaginatively called simply »Yeslam«. I tried to buy it in Duty Free but was not successful.

[*Nachfrage zu den Reisekosten angesichts seiner Anreise von Siidostasien nach Asuncidn]
( Inquiry about travel expenses in view of his travel from Southeast Asia to Asunción)

-8- page number

Yes the apparatus of the DPRK is very paranoid, though I must say once you are there, things do look a little brighter. I went via Beijing by plane to Pyongyang and left via train (which was locked) back to China. There was a very large explosion near the Chinese border when I went in September, though it was not cleared up as to what it was. It was pleasant to look across the demilitarized zone from the northern side, being photographed by US-Americans and South Koreans with telephoto lenses and photographing them in turn. One is not allowed to walk around Pyongyang without being escorted by three minders, and when you do finally get to leave your hotel and stroll, magic little fruit stands keep popping up that are dismantled again as you pass them, which you can witness if you look over your shoulder quickly. There is, of course, no fruit available in the DPRK.

I am not sure if Kim Jong II composed any operas. He is rumored to enjoy the recordings of Pink Floyd, however, and likes to travel on an armored train to Russia. I would give a lot to be able to travel on this train with him, surrounded by the tainted luxury of his entourage, to see his shoes, to watch him gaze out the windows at the verdant yet sparse countryside of the divided Korea—calmed, luxe et volupte.

Thank you for reminding me of Werther. I am much looking forward to our sojourn in Paraguay, and my sympathies go out to the family of B*. I will post the CDs as promised from SFO airport.

As ever, Christian

10. TO DW | A QUICK NOTE REGARDING NG VISIT

Thursday, December9, 200411:53 PM

Thank you for your interesting mail—let me reply properly and in greater detail tomorrow. [*Bitte um Neukalkulacion des Reisepreises nach NG, falls CK und Nickel in der Business-KJasse fliegen und ihr Ticket guns tig in Bangkok kaufen]
(Please recalculate the travel price to NG if CK and Nickel fly in the business cabin and buy their ticket cheaply in Bangkok)

Best, Christian

PS. Merci for drawing my attention to the english translation of Alamut—my friends Milan and Darko of Novi Kollektivizem/Irwin/NSK have been recommending Bartol, but I did not know the tome was out in english. Dr. Nickel and I visited them in October in Ljubliana, and they showed us a most interesting performance with a »Krala«, forty Euros and their car—but I digress…

-9- page 9

11. TO CK | RE: A QUICK NOTE REGARDINC NG I VISIT

Friday, December 10, 2004 7:42 PM

Dear Christian,

Of course you have a great idea. Please forgive me my delay as I figure this out, to your and Dr. Nichel’s advantage.

Back soon, Sincerely, David

ps. an illuminating note (attached is an article called “My Story” which appeared on the Website, which was allegedly written by Gerda, but was filled with chaos and in jokes about religion)

12. To DW | Gerda

Saturday, December 11, 200412:22 AM

Dear David,

Gerda’s beautiful letter has touched a chord deep within me. I must thank you for forwarding it me, in preparation for what I think will be very memorable visit to Nueva Germania. I hope—and I write for Dr. Nickel as well—that we
can be of assistance to the people of that city. You seem to be doing the right thing in those parts. Gerda’s sentences have left me feeling almost patriotically German, though of course I am Swiss. David, please count us as 100% part of your expedition and kindly give Gerda my regards. Perhaps it might be possible, with your guidance and assistance, to build and equip a German language library in Nueva Germania. I have good relations with a number of publishers in Germany and Switzerland and I think quite a few of them would supply this library project with books, magazines and other reading material. My maternal grandfather, who passed away last year, has also bequeathed me a library of some 2000 tomes that are still in storage on a German island in the north sea, as I have not yet had the time and money to ship his books here to Asia. Perhaps we might ship the collection to Nueva Germania instead.

With warm regards,

Christian.

13. To DW | Beispiele paranormaler Tonbandstimmen II

Sunday, December 12, 2004 4:22AM

Dear David,

The collection of books my maternal grandfather has bequeathed me may be more interesting if you ponder his surname, which was Fritzsche.

As ever, Christian.

-10-

To CK

Sunday, December 12, 2004 11:18 AM

Dear Christian,

I had been pondering this, perhaps a bit too obsessively, even before learning that your maternal grandfather’s surname, rest his soul, was Fritzsche. Nueva Germania currently has a house that can be used as a German school—the same house that it was in before. But although the house is accommodating and maintained, it is about 12 kilometers from the tacaruty (»place of anthills«) neighborhood, where most of the German children reside. Still, I am pursuing a situation where the old German school house can be reopened, and a library actually established and protected there, ideally with a caretaker/>librarian< given some degree of responsibility. At the same time, a new German school can be established (i.e., built, or developed from an existing house) closer to tacaruty, near the Lutheran church. When it is finished, every aspect of the German school that had been (re)developed at the old location can be moved to the new one—and these new activities for the German people can thus be centralized, so as to minimize necessary interactions w/ the native Guarani populace, allowing the German people to regain focus on their own culture and heritage. Christian, this is a beautiful idea that you have; your kind offer of these books would undoubtedly echo in time and be appreciated for generations to come.

Nueva Germania’s greatest chance of survival may be through learning how to sustain itself on its history—an asset of potentially great value unique to the Germans there. They have very little understanding or appreciation of their own
history—which, further, is mocked by their Guarani neighbors and in-laws.
This makes for a difficult entwinement—but one that can be solved through German language classes, study, and the singing of Lutheran hymns.
Having conveyed your best to Goethe, I mean Gerda,

Yours Truly,

David

15. TO DW | Re: Beispiele paranormaler Tonbandstimmen IV

Friday, December 17, 2004 8:57PM

Dear David,

Just a quick note before I am off to Mexico D.F. for the holiday season—pray tell what is included in the 2300 US$—we will meet in Asuncion on April 3rd
2004— where exactly should we meet?

All the best, Christian

16. TO CK | SEASONS GREETINGS FROM CASA DE HARDER

Monday, December 23, 2004 11:46PM

hello Christian,

please excuse the accidental email i just sent, bearing the same subject header, i am writing to let you know that the Kimjongilia essay is well underway, most of which was written while riding a train from San Francisco to Winnipeg—where i arrived Sunday morning, i am visiting Gerda harder, and she is becoming deeply involved with April’s expedition. last night’s thoughts expressed in the form of, todays’

david

17. TO DW | RE: SEASONS GREETINGS FROM CASA DE HARDER

Monday, January 3, 2005 12:22 PM

Dear David,

The news of the Harder’s sound wonderful indeed, I like the song project immensely. I had to abort my trip to Mexico City on Christmas day [Tsunami fears] and go to Los Angeles instead to meet Nika etc. I have sent a Christmas present to your house in San Francisco [2 CDs and a book on the flower, both purchased in Pyongyang] from the airport but I guess it must have been stolen. I am now in San Francisco and wandering about the town which is quite lovely in a startling way. I shall be here until the 9th. Please drop me a note.

Christian

18. To DW | Disappearance

Monday, January 10, 2005 8:57AM

Sorry I have not rung you but circumstances have forced my timely departure to Bangkok today. I truly enjoyed meeting you the other evening and look for­ ward to seeing the swift completion of your opera house in the jungle. David, could you have the essay completed by Jan 15? I still need to locate a translator etc.

All the best,

Christian

(Skipping ahead because much unrelated information follows to see about the NG conclusion on page 20 David summits his bio blurb for Der Freud)

29. To CK | Beautiful Kimjongilia (this is letter 29 each letter is numbered)

Monday, January 24, 2005 6:48

Dear Christian,

CONTRIBUTOR NOTE: David Woodard is Music Director of Los Angeles Chamber Group and former Councilman of Juniper Hills, California In the latter capacity, he established a sister city alliance with Nueva Germania Paraguay, where he purchased Elisabeth Nietzsche’s former dwelling and ruling headquarters Forsterhof in 2004. As a visual artist, his work is exhibited by major museums and galleries throughout the world, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

There it is, Christian—something to work with. Please call me when you get this; if I cannot answer, I will call back soon.

Yours Truly, David

30. To CK | Tatiana Harder Contra David Wellens

Monday, January24, 20059:15 AM

Hello Christian,

According to Gerda, »Tatiana is indeed a good artist in drawing. Her drawing was #1 in grade 9 und framed and posted in the J. h. school hallway wall.« I have yet to see the 14-year-old’s artwork, but from the above claim there appears to be promise.

Attached for your perusal is the portrait of a Tiger swallowtail recently finished by David Wellens—the Washington plumbing solder artist I mentioned to you a couple of weeks ago. This full-scale work is very representative of his style, which strikes me as appropriate to the rendering of a Kimjongilia. states that, having recovered from surgery, he is for some reason returning to his old theme of human portraiture as well. (Art by David Wellens of Spokane who is known for his Dictators Series Portraits)
So, without drawing conclusions about either—nor mentioning the essay / Der Freund to either, there are a couple of possibilities.
David

32. To CK I CONTRIBUTOR’S note revisited

Tuesday, January 25, 2005 1:34AM

Hello Christian,

I believe the following will be my final revision for the contributor’s note.

DW

CONTRIBUTOR’S NOTE: David Woodard is Music Director of Los Angeles
Chamber Group and Councilman of Juniper Hills, California. In the latter capacity, he established sister city alliance with Nueva Germania, Paraguay, where he purchased Elisabeth Nietzsche’s former dwelling and ruling headquarters Forsterhof in 2004 and is currently engaged in the construction of a small opera house on the same property. As a visual art hobbyist, Dr. Woodard’s work is exhibited in major museums and galleries throughout the world, including
Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

48. CK to Jack Epstein | Hello

Monday, February 14, 2005 17:12:08 +0700

Dear Mr. Epstein,

Thank you for your message—indeed, Dr. Woodard has invited me to join him on his expedition to Nueva Germania next month. And yes, I shall be assembling ideas for an historical Swiss novel. The history of Nueva Germania is not very well known at all in Switzerland, a country that has sent thousands of immigrants to that part of the world—the only recent (2003) publication related to Swiss emigration to South America is a smallish book of about 200 pages titled »Das Paradies in den Suempfen—Eine Schweizer Auswanderungsgeschichte nach Brasilien im 19. Jahrhundert«, by Dilney Cunha, which translates roughly as »A paradise in the swamps—a Swiss immigrant history to Brazil in the 19th century«—I feel that the original Portuguese title »Suicos em Joinville—O dup- lo desterro« (The Swiss in Joinville—A doubled exile) would have been some­ how more fitting. Even Lily Tuck’s erudite News from Paraguay makes no mention of the place, so I am very curious as to what may be found there today.

With very best regards from Nepal—

Christian Kracht

Publisher

DER FREUND Magazine

49. To DW | Forsterhof

Monday, February 14, 2005 7:26AM

Dear David,

Just to say our conversation earlier today has put me in such a good mood, filled With bubbly spirit and happiness for a good future. I am very much looking forward to meeting you again in Asuncion and will advise you of my arrival and flight details. Meantime, there is a dog kennel you might want to look at:
http://www.deutschlanghaar-Försterhof.com/ (link is dead and no back up was saved in Wayback Machine or in Archive Today)
Yours, Christian

53. To DW|DPRK

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 8:48AM

Dear David,

Thought I might like to send you this image I took of South Korean/US personnel looking back at me. It is very wonderful that you have linked the Forsterhof dog kennel on your site.

54: To DW|NG

Sunday, February 20, 2005 12:52AM

Dear David,

Spoke with my mother in Zurich just now and she is very happy that her late father’s library will find a new home in Nueva Germania, Paraguay. There are about 35 cases of books in storage on the north sea island of Sylt, so it is only a matter of shipping them thence. The only problem I foresee is with customs in Paraguay. Perhaps you could suggest to me how the Lutheran church of SF in­ tends to send their hymn books and missals—do they send them directly to
their counterpart in Paraguay? I don’t really have an address to which I might send my grandfather’s books, I tend to think » Forsterhof of, Nueva Germania, Paraguay« will not suffice, at least not yet…

I am certainly willing to pay for the shipment, it’s just that I please need some help with clearing customs. Maybe we can »disguise« the tomes as church material. In any case, I want to get things moving from this end. Also, we will want to look at a possible room in which the books will be housed. Should it be used by the good people of Nueva Germania as a reading library only, or a lending library? Also, what of tropical book-rot?

I leave you with this website, as boring as it is fascinating: http://www.club- paraguay.de/ website is still online (The Club Paraguay is an association without political, religious or commercial goals, which was founded on the initiative of some Paraguayan-German families from the Stuttgart region.)

Looking forward to seeing you soon—

Christian
Sunday, February 20, 2005 3:14 AM

Dear David,

I plan to fly Swissair Bangkok-Zurich-Sao Paulo, then Varig to La Paz, where I plan to stay a couple of days (never having been to Bolivia, which I understand is quite scenic) and then on April 1st from La Paz to Asuncion on TAM Mercosur.

Hope you are well—

Christian

57. To CK | Re: Travel plans

Thursday, February24, 200512:44AM

Dear Christian,

Thank you for apprising me of your travel plans. Yes, I’ve also heard that Bolivia is scenic—and that tourists in Bolivia may walk into a silver mine, pay $2 for a paper bag containing dynamite, coco leaves and ear plugs, and venture under­ ground—sans any mining experience whatsoever, of course. As might be expected, the mines are said to be generously peppered with improvised grave markers. So, please, do be careful.

Your new fellow April seminar student, certainly the world’s most distinguished Satanist [Kenneth Anger], traveled to Cefalu with Dr. Kinsey in 1955. (Kenneth Anger is an underground film maker, known for his film Lucifer Rising.)

Having given more thought to your concerns re where the books may best be housed in Nueva Germania—and whether they would comprise a reading room or lending library, and what about book rot—I have a few ideas. First, I am not convinced that the Lutheran pastor situation (his parsonage doubles as the old and would-be German school) is suitable. Gerda suggests donated the books to the Lutheran church, which she claims would be amenable to keeping non-religious materials available for the public. We’ll see, once we’ve met the Germany-assigned pastor—who claims he will be at the colony while we are.

-33-

Josef Mengele’s old property was offered and nearly purchased it last year, though I felt I needed more reassurance re title transfer safety. The local »Judge of the Peace«, required for legalizing deed transfers and providing official documents, was in prison at the time. Anyway, perhaps a wing of the new Forsterhof building on Joe’s [= Josef Mengele’s] old property would prove feasible—on the understanding that a responsible local person would need to be secured to maintain things and run the show.

Christian, please phone when you have the chance. I am greatly looking for­ ward to the trip.

Warm Regards,

David

(Progress is being made towards the trip keep reading to discover the exciting conclusion)

Page 44

82. To DW | Hucklebuck

Friday, April8, 20059:16AM

Hullo David,

yes I just missed that flight. I was able to buy a ticket to Paris on TAM though,
so 1 went ahead with buying it in the spirit of spending/losing money, which I am beginning to enjoy.

Please let me thank you for your estimable character and steadfastness of humor, which I found always lifted me up and above the more mundane aspects of our expedition.

Your friend Christian.

PS hope to see you in Kathmandu soon!

PPS Please remember the poem, and a detailed account of how much I owe you!

83. To CK I RE: Hucklebuck

Friday, April 8, 2005 9:40 AM

dear Christian,

sorry to hear of the flight fiasco, oh well, a bit of icing on the cake never hurt
anyone, well, mundane only entered the picture on return to the palace hotel and environs, in my estimation, i am so glad to have experienced the NG expedition with you, and truly hope that you will hold close to your heart, as i know i will to mine, this maiden juniper hills town council venture, of course what happened with those thieves is everywhere in this world, and mustn’t be confused with Paraguay or Asuncion.

the poem will materialize, and what an honor it shall be to have it swaddled in the safety of der freund. with regard to money, please do not fret in the least—it seems the mark of the beast has returned, always a god sign.

I am a bit lighter now, which is kind of nice, perhaps i will actually get the yerba mate on the plane, let us not forget elisabeth nietzsche’s yerba mate—this is very important, i hope and trust that you will issue appropriate commands to the very talented Mr. ising.

(Tom Ising is the artist who did all of the covers of Der Freund)

yes, i would love to visit Nepal. perhaps i will figure out some sort of excuse, i believe i will soon be spending a fair amount of time in juniper hills, marc fischer’s home away from los angeles when he’s writing disapproving newspaper articles about body culture with photographers who have to return to germany early due to health concerns.

(Marc Fischer died 2011 was a German journalist known for a book called Acid Communism meaning LSD which can be found free on Google Books)

Christian,
Please keep me posted about your undertakings, whereabouts—and of course the packaging for elisabeth nietzsche’s yerba mate.

David

End of book excerpts from Five Years: Briefwechsel

CK never went to Nueva Germania, at least not at that time, but an article was published in Vice Magazine on August 16, 2006 detailing a very different story. The article is still online and you can read it here.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/exaw5z/paraguay-hanging-out-with-the-police