The archive and the artist: The Stefan Heym archive revisited

In December 1992 Cambridge University Library acquired the Stefan Heym Arch ive. This is a remarkably complete collection of literary manuscripts, inte rviews, letters, press clippings, audio and video tapes and miscellaneous m aterial pertaining to a major literary and political figure in East German cultural history. The current article, using insights gained from catalogui ng reflects the life of the originator and the historical events in which h e participated. The article describes the various categories of manuscripts in the archive with an emphasis on what the collection reveals about Heym' s work, his approach to it, and its reception. The literary manuscripts sho w the genesis of particular works, the timespan over which Heym's ideas dev elop, the method and care in their preparation, and Heym's greater interest in the creative process than in the end-product. Similar care is evident i n the text of interviews. Media coverage, paper and taped material, shows t he reception of Heym's work, includes Heym's comments on his own work, and demonstrates the growth of his status over the years. The archive's cultura l value should not obscure its worth in shedding light on Heym as a writer.