The Max and Lola Gruenthal Collection holds the papers of this husband and wife, with the focus of the collection on Lola Gruenthal and her work as a translator and author. The collection is largely comprised of correspondence, manuscripts and drafts of writing and translations, and restricted medical files, but it also includes many notes, diaries, clippings, and a few photographs and personal papers

A significant amount of correspondence is present in this collection. Much of this is letters between Max and Lola Gruenthal prior to their marriage, located in Series I. This correspondence is primarily personal

The correspondence of Max and Lola Gruenthal concerns mainly private matters and the description of the their daily life in Germany, France, U.S and Switzerland. In 1936 and 1937 they wrote to each other daily

The first subseries of Series II holds the correspondence of Lola Gruenthal, also largely personal but containing some correspondence of publishers. A small amount of professional correspondence, including letters of recommendations and requests for employment, is located in Subseries 2 of Series II. Lola Gruenthal's writing, including her translations, comprise a substantial part of this collection; much of these papers are located in Subseries 3 of Series II. Included are drafts of her poetry and other creative writing as well as drafts of translations and related notes and research material. Diaries, present in her personal papers in Subseries 2, also mention her written work

Series III holds the medical files of the psychiatrist Max Gruenthal along with his correspondence with patients. This series is restricted

Clara Lore (Lorette) "Lola" Gruenthal (née Braunstein/ Bronstein) was born in 1914 in Berlin, where she grew up in a Russian-Jewish family. In 1937 she came to New York via Ellis Island as an "illegal immigrant" and later immigrated to the United States via Cuba under the German quota. She studied psychology and psycho-diagnostic testing at New York University and Columbia University. She worked as a secretary and also as a psychological research assistant, as well as writing her own poetry and short stories. Her early poetry was published in Blätter des jüdischen Kulturbunds in Germany and other Jewish journals. In the United States she began to publish mainly English translations of poetry and prose, such as Rainer Maria Rilke's Evald Tragy, among many others. She also translated from English into German, especially Emily Dickinson's poetry. She was a co-editor of Frauenfahrplan, a collection of writings by members of WIG (Women in German). Occasionally she was published under the pseudonym "Lola Boerner." Lola Gruenthal maintained extensive correspondence with many well-known individuals such as Walter Bräutigam, Christina Malman, and Lucille Nawara

Max Gruenthal was born in Germany and earned his medical degree in 1916 from the University of Berlin. In the mid-1930s he immigrated to New York, where he established his psychiatric practice; in 1945 he and Lola were married. He and Lola Gruenthal had three sons. Max Gruenthal counted several well-known individuals among his patients. He died in 1962 in New York City

Finding aid available online:

Grunthal, Lola

Marlis Arboleda

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