Court orders release of unseen works by Franz Kafka

Previously unseen manuscripts from Franz Kafka may be published after a court ruling.

The ruling comes after a decade-long battle with his estate to release a collection of papers kept by an Israeli family in their bank safe-deposit boxes. A district court in Zurich ruled that several of the boxes could be opened and their contents shipped to Israel’s national library.

The treasure trove of Kafka works could include previously unseen works, unfinished books, and personal writings. The work was originally given to Max Brod, Franz Kafka’s editor and publisher, and close friend shortly before Kafka’s death in 1924. He had actually asked for his writings to be destroyed but Brod ignored his wishes and decided to publish The Trial, The Castle, and Amerika, pushing the little-known author posthumously into the spotlight.

However, Brod didn’t publish everything and on his death in 1968, he instructed his personal secretary, Esther Hoffe, to transfer the Kafka papers to an academic institution. Hoffe instead took it upon herself to hide some the papers away and sold others; an original manuscript of The Trial was auctioned for £1m at Sotheby’s in London.

Israel’s National Library believes Kafka’s papers are a cultural asset belonging to the Jewish people.

“We welcome the judgment of the court in Switzerland, which matched all the judgments entered previously by the Israeli courts,” said David Blumberg, the library chairman.

“The judgment of the Swiss court completes the preparation of the National Library of Israel to accept the entire literary estate of Max Brod, which will be properly handled and will be made available to the wider public in Israel and the world.”