Calling card of Dr. Theodor Herzl, with a dedication in his handwriting. Vienna, November 30,1895. German.
Herzl's name is printed on the card: "Dr. Theodor Herzl". Herzl added on the card a handwritten dedication (in German) for Mr. Fritz Engel; Herzl thanks sincerely for their friendly talk "which I do not deserve" which concerned Herzl's book, "Das Palais Bourbon, Bilder aus dem französischen Parlamentsleben" (Bourbon Palace – pictures of the Parliamentary Life of France, published in Leipzig in 1895).
" The Bourbon Palace" was written at the same time as Herzl's monumental book "The Jewish State", as he mentions in his writings: "when I traveled through Spain N.F. Press offered me to serve as their permanent correspondent in Paris. I accepted this post in spite of the fact that I was tired of politics and despised it. In Paris I had a chance to learn to know how people could understand politics and I expressed my views in a small book "Bourbon Place". In 1895 I had enough of life in Paris and I returned to Vienna. During the last two months of my life in Paris I wrote my book "The Jewish State"…" [from: "Herzl's biography (written by himself)", printed in "The Writings of Theodor Herzl, Zionist writings, translated by Dr. Berkowicz. Warsaw: Achiasaf, 1922].
It is possible that the receiver of this dedication is the German-Jewish poet and author Fritz Engel who lived in Berlin during the years 1867-1935 and published critics and essays in "Berliner Tageblatt". 5.5X9.5 cm. Good condition.
From the collection of Arnie Druck.