REUSS (Rodolphe). - Lot 268

REUSS (Rodolphe). Anonymous. Autograph manuscript. No place, no date [circa 1919–1924]. 5 folio pages. An important autograph draft of a stirring speech delivered at the University of Strasbourg in honor of the Alsatian historian Rodolphe Reuss (1841–1924), a leading figure in Strasbourg’s scholarly community. The text, written in careful and highly legible hand, offers a sustained tribute to Reuss’s historical work, his role in the intellectual reconstruction of Alsace after 1870, and his devotion to France. The speech discusses at length: - his career as a librarian and professor in Strasbourg; - his major work on the history of Alsace and Strasbourg; - the period of German annexation; - the loss of his three sons during World War I; - Alsace’s return to France after 1918. Of particular note is this beautiful passage: “What was then a hope became a reality on November 11, 1918” as well as the motto: “Nulla dies sine linea” This manuscript is of great interest for the intellectual and patriotic history of Alsace in the aftermath of World War I. A very fine piece providing historical context, likely prepared for an academic or commemorative address.