By: Silvio Saidemberg, MD

February the 4^th, 2001

Below, there is the presentation of the 36 revised clues related to the death of Stefan and Elisabeth Charlotte Zweig (Lotte) on February the 23^rd, 1942. These clues raise reasonable doubts about suicide as the only and final conclusion. Different views might be stimulated by this discussion. For too many years the predominant version would lead us to only one proposition: "11 farewell letters written by Stefan Zweig strongly suggesting a suicidal case" and there was a "certain consensus that he suffered from some emotional tendency to commit suicide". Of course, for the ones that have their mind set on the final suicidal inference and feel uneasy with another possibility, it will be useless the scrutiny of the discrepancies that were left. Maybe, an "unremitting irrational belief" is the emotional sequel due to the casual treatment those same facts received in 1942. Doubts ought not proceed indefinitely and uncommented, even though,for the last six decades, it seems there has been a clear choice favoring cautious silence. Nowadays, strict procedures are taken anytime a presumptive suicide occurs; unfortunately, at that time, only a perfunctory examination was performed in the case of Stefan and Elisabeth (Lotte)Zweig.

First clue; The farewell letter ("Declaracão ") has a Portuguese title (only word in Portuguese and still incorrect, it should have been written "Declaração"), the text that follows is in German. The German word "Deklaration" would have the same effect of calling attention to the letter. Why a formal statement like that? A final word of farewell in Portuguese if Zweig wanted to use a non German word in this text, wouldn't that have a more endearing impact?

Second clue: This letter that was handwritten has two suppressed words, looks like to have been composed without a meticulous review, what would not be expected from a great writer, who knew that his death should have enormous impact upon the world and particularly on the Jewish community, at a time of great distress and war. His last literary piece, the farewell letter being so brief, as if no greater explanation from him was necessary for those that respected, read and admired his work. In addition, we cannot forget that Stefan Zweig considered himself as having a spiritual mission; he embraced the fight of pacifism against the worst tyrannical tendencies of the first half of the twentieth century. At the very least, this raises great doubts and perplexity.

Third clue: No mention is made concerning the "pact of death" with his wife, no mention is made about her death. The declaration is always in the first person of the singular. Why? Also, why the cautious writer leaves this question mark?

Fourth clue: Apparently, on February the 22^nd, farewell letters would have been written, dated and met in addressed and stamped envelops, would he have a reason to adjourn the act? Which one?

Fifth clue: Why Stefan Zweig would have started his farewell letter by: " Before leaving the life by my own will... " Why such emphasis in exempting other people of the responsibility of his decision, if only the two deeply involved people in this episode were he and his own wife, both sharing the consequences of their decision? Why this subject in the first place? Why not simply and directly refer to his motivation or better their motivation for such a decision?

Sixth clue: Why there was no reference to the wishes of the wife? Would she have her own personal reason to follow him in that gesture? Which would the possible Lotte´s reasons be? If she had for instance any incurable illness, it would be a very special reason for it to be unveiled at that moment.

Seventh clue: Why Stefan Zweig said in his letter: "... it would be necessary strenuous efforts to reconstruct my own life... "; as a well known author with translated books in so many languages, even though his personal possessions had been stolen in Europe, he still had superlative conditions to survive in Brazil, where he was respected and acclaimed as one of the greatest writers of the first half of the twentieth century, much above the survival condition of the exiles in their great majority.

Eighth clue: In continuation to the previous phrase ("...kraft...Und die meinen sind durch die langen Jahre heimatlosen Wanderns erschöpft....") "... And my energy is depleted for the long years of peregrination as one without a native land ( in the original text , he states "... and mine powers are exhausted through the long years of homeless wandering. "... ) It is interesting the translation of his words to Portuguese, betraying some bigotry from the translator, since Zweig referred in the original text to homeless wandering and not to a condition of "peregrination as one without a native land" ("sem pátria" or "apátrida" is a quite derogatory Portuguese expression and in general attributed to Jews by anti-semites).

At the very least, it is curious that the author has emphasized the loss of his homeland, being a cosmopolite man, acclaimed world-wide, having had diplomatic Visa and possibility for attainment of citizenship that hardly another refugee of the Nazi-fascism would have, strong as might be his love for his native land, Austria... Besides that, he wrote a book well acclaimed in the new country towards which he is very appreciative: " Brazil, country of the future " (in addition, he was carrying the British citizenship). Why justify his suicidal gesture, pointing out to loss of nation as one of the main reasons? He was a man who believed that the greatest value in this world was to be humanitarian and a defender of individual freedoms and of human dignity. Would he be under pressure? Who would be pressuring him?

Ninth clue: Texts had been collected from a basket of discarded papers . Which was the content of them? One of the torn papers would contain the words "Hitler", "Goebbels" and "Fuehrer "... and what else? Why the informal inquiry was not released? Whom the cover up would be important? Why there was no formal investigation? There was a statement in the basket of discarded papers, in which Stefan would mention that he was being considered "the most dangerous Jewish Intelectual " by **"Berchtesgaden", a metaphor for Hitler. How could he know about that judgement by "Berchtesgaden"? Who told him on that?

Tenth clue: In the Portuguese translation of the farewell letter released to the press two periods of the original text were suppressed. " Wish you be still able to see the dawn that will come after this long night. I, exceedingly impatient, go before this ". (Zweig would be mentioning his hope in the defeat of Nazism.) Why even in this last document, it is necessary a metaphor, and metaphor in a rough draft, since the document looks like not having been revised? A metaphor in a formal statement, where clarity is in demand!? And now, which was the reason to censor this last and reduced literary piece, as the translation went incomplete to be published by the press? Who made it? Whom would it interest the suppression? Why? ( in accord with Leopold Stern, a close friend of Zweig, his full translation of the farewell letter from German to French was taken from him by a man that identified himself as being a Brazilian Authority and as such demanded the surrender of Stern's notes. This man, afterwards was confirmed as being Claudio de Sousa, having taken the responsibility for that translation from French to Portuguese, and afterwards denied to have made any abridgment, stating that he received the original translation from German to French where the last two phrases were not found .)

Eleventh clue: Letters had been sent by Stefan Zweig to some personalities of that time, to the former-wife, brother-in-law and friends, letters that had been interpreted as a farewell with gratefulness, had some of them more enlightening information? Who knew more about it? In reality, some of the letters had at the very most a hint that he would stay with Lotte up to the very end, or that he was glad that he had taken "the decision". No explicit mention of a suicide plan.

Twelfth clue: It was published by the press at the time and later on, about different substances that would have been used in the suicidal act: Injected "Formicida" (a cyanide preparation to kill ants), "Veronal" (a barbiturate), a strong poison that would have brought of the Europe (Why?), "something " that was ingested mixed to the " Salutaris mineral water "; What!? After all, what was found?, Which were the evidences? Where were they registered ? Why was not released any official declaration clarifying with accuracy the subject? Even if the immediate cause could be identified, what or who took them to the suicidal act?

Thirteenth clue: In accord with the Press, President Getúlio Vargas would have directed that the necropsy of the couple should be made,. Which were the conclusions of that necropsy? Such necropsy was not really performed. Why it was not made? Even alleged religious reasons would not be able to impede necroscopic studies in case of suicide or murder ( religious authorities were powerless to decide even for a full religious burial in the case of the Zweigs ). Why this subject was not better clarified? Whom it would interest the necropsy not to be made?

Fourteenth clue: Why was not Stefan Zweig buried in a Jewish cemetery? Why the decision was taken to entomb him in Petrópolis? Who took this decision? Whom it would interest that Stefan Zweig be interred in Petrópolis and to what point the registers of the time really clarify? (having Stefan Zweig written religious texts; for example: " the buried candelabrum " and " Jeremiah "; knowing that Lotte was a rabbi granddaughter; so not having burial in accordance with the Jewish religious law, the only possible logical reason is that Stefan and Lotte would have left a document declaring that they would refuse the religious ceremony and the burial in a Jewish cemetery. Was there such a document? If it existed why never was it admitted? Afterwards it was found a letter to Abraão Koogan, his editor, instructing the latter about a "modest and discreet" internment in a Jewish cemetery.

Fifteenth clue: On May the first, 1942, in an article published by the "Correio do Povo" of Porto Alegre, "Respect to Zweig", Rubem Braga notices the easiness that a detractor of Stefan Zweig finds in making vindication of Nazism, making false accusations against the Zweigs. Whom would it interest the destruction of the public image of Stefan and Elisabeth, after their death?

Sixteenth clue: After the tragedy, the government agency Meridional delivered three photos of the couple to the press. It is curious that the disposal of the bodies is different in one of the photos, it is also intriguing that the bracelet of the left pulse of Elisabeth has disappeared in " the different " photo where the couple lay side by side in bed, in a much less aesthetic form than in the case of the similar photos, where Lotte lies nestled upon Stefan. The similar photos bring: " the position where the bodies without life of the author of Brazil, country of the future and his "companion" had been found " and " the Zweig couple such as found in their deathbed ". The different photo, the levitating left arm photo brings: " How the bodies of Stefan Zweig and his wife had been found "; still in this photo, the left hand of Lotte levitating above the right hand of Stefan suggests Lotte's "rigor mortis" condition and that this position with the highest probability resulted from body manipulation. Why the position of the bodies was modified in this different photo? What happened to the Elizabeth's bracelet? The different photo became the officially accepted version, other photos with the couple in that same position, from a less revealing angle had a worldwide distribution.

Seventeenth clue: In his biography of Stefan Zweig, Donald Prater mentions that " in accord with some sources " the couple would have received some anonymous letters threatening them some days before the suicide. Where those letters are? The couple would have communicated this fact to the authorities? Which were the measures taken by the authorities?

Eighteenth clue: Donald Prater also mentions that a Brazilian periodical made provocative and unfair accusations against Stefan Zweig. ("Supposedly, Stefan would not write a biography of " Santos Dumont ", in accordance with the detractor, not to enter in conflict with the idea of the Americans that the priority belonged to The Wright brothers "). Zweig would have been very disturbed with this mean accusation. On February the 15^th, the previous Sunday, one week before his last declaration, Zweig spent the day elaborating a reply to such newspaper, with the aid of Claúdio de Sousa who would have translated it from French to Portuguese. Supposedly, the reply never arrived at the newspaper. Why? Where it went? And the copy? Why Claudio de Sousa didn't confirm having produced that translation? However, he did confirm to have spent that Sunday with Stefan Zweig. Zweig confided to Ernst Feder this reply to the newspaper information on February the 16^th, 1942, one week before the alleged suicide.

Nineteenth clue: Why Stefan would be dressed with clothes as if he was prepared for a walk? (short sleeve shirt, bermuda shorts (of khaki color) and black necktie. Lotte was found dressed with a nightgown. Why were they dressed for different occasions? She would have "committed suicide" after Stefan? The used substances in one and the other "suicide" would have been different? (Would he have used Veronal, a barbiturate? Would Lotte have used "Formicida", a cyanide preparation?) (06.Santos)

Twentieth clue: Taking in account that Stefan Zweig could keep some contact with people, even in the night of February the 21st, when the plan of "suicide" already was in preparation, why Stefan did not alert somebody on the possibility to be under threat in a more clear way? On that Sunday evening, February the 22nd, at 10 PM, would Stefan Zweig have been seen in the company of Lotte in the "Confeitaria dos Inglezes" (The Englander's Patisserie), in the center of Petrópolis; in accord with one of the sources. Hopeless situation? Imminent danger for other ones? Anyway, there was too much action for two supposedly depressed people seeking to leave this world, in search for relief from all the bad aspects of life.

Twenty first clue: Why Lotte would have gone to shop for goods above the usual amount, in the eve of the projected " suicide " on February the 21^st., morning?

Twenty second clue: the disposition of their belongings for their after death was quite organized, even the little dog Plucky (Bluchy) was not forgotten; this would only occur if the planned death included both.

Twenty third clue: The informer is Mr. Sady Ferreira Barbosa; in the registered certificate of death, the first name of Zweig is slightly modified (Stephan instead of Stefan); white, writer by profession, civil condition: married, parents: " legitimate child " and last address: Rua Gonçalves Dias, 34. Place of the death: Petrópolis. date: 23 of February of 1942, at 12:30 PM. The death certificate, would have been signed by Mário M. Pinheiro, MD. The causa mortis: suicide by toxic substance ingestion (it does not have specification on the toxic product). Why the information is so brief and incomplete? Would it not have anybody else, among all the close relationships of Stefan Zweig, who could be available to present and to verify the complete data for the death certificate? Would did any barrier exist as to prevent the initiative of those friends?

24^th clue: Stefan Zweig stated that his personal situation was unfavorable to a reasonable adjustment outside Europe; at that time there were innumerous exiles dealing with a very grave adjustment situation, enduring even the menace of being expelled and deported back to Germany or to other European countries under occupation. Why did Zweig emphasized his difficulties and the hard tasks for his future? He was very sensitive to the suffering of other exiles, nevertheless, they had to absorb this strongly disheartening message.

25^th clue: Claudio de Sousa (1876-1954), a writer, quite preoccupied with Aryanism and "racial contamination" seems to have taken a special interest in Stefan Zweig, particularly in the last days and in the burial procedures of the latter. In "Os Infelizes" ("The Unfortunate ones"; romance, 1926), Claudio de Sousa openly defends those racial purity views. "Nossa Raça" ("Our Race") is another text where he expresses his claim in favor of a " Latin Race" that rose as a consequence of "the Semitic decadence", and that should have the same pride as were displaying the Germans and Austrians for their race in those days, an obviously favorable allusion to the racial ideology of the Nazis.

26^th clue: Incidentally, Claudio de Sousa had the idea that something serious had occurred to the couple, on February the 23^rd, 1942 at 3 PM, when he phoned the house of Stefan Zweig "to invite him for a walk". Being informed by Mr. Antonio Moraes, the house employee, about the couple still being in the bedroom, Sousa would have then suggested that something might have happened to the Zweigs and urged Mr. Moraes to take some action. One hour later, when finally Mr. Moraes was able to enter the room, the Zweigs were found dead.

27^th clue: Claudio de Sousa as soon as he knew about the death of the Zweigs, he phoned the Presidential Summer Palace in Petropolis and requested for the burial arrangements. This would have happened before the more obvious causes of that happening were confirmed. Even Stefan Zweig's farewell letter had not been translated at that point.

28^th clue: on February the 24^th, the corpse of Stefan Zweig was displayed in an open coffin at a grammar school ( "Grupo Escolar D. Pedro II" in Petropolis, afterwards it was moved to the Petropolis Academy of Letters building. A quite unusual situation, being Stefan Jewish, and never having abandoned his ethnic identity, the Jewish death ceremonial procedures being completely ignored . The only reason that Lotte's coffin remained closed was due to the state of decay of her corpse.

29^th clue: Why the Petropolis mayor tried to prevent prayers and a religious ceremony at the burial place determined by the Brazilian Authorities? That ceremony was only possible after the insistence of the rabbi Mordechai Tzikinowsky. Another Rabbi, Henrique Lemle together with the religious singer Fleischmann conducted the prayers.

30^th clue: Why did Claudio de Sousa state immediately to the press that Stefan Zweig had committed suicide due to the "humiliating victories imposed by the Axis" and due to "economic losses Zweig had suffered in Europe"? How could he know? Zweig was very careful with his own words as far as the causes of his death were concerned? If Claudio de Sousa knew more before the tragedy, did he try to offer some help? Anyway he was a non practicing physician and ex professor of Therapeutics; he might have tried to help the Zweigs if he knew more about them; the couple spent the night at his Rio de Janeiro home on February the 16^th, and allegedly returned speedily to Petropolis on the next day. From that Tuesday on (February the 17^th), the Zweigs became very busy organizing themselves as if they had an agenda for their own death.

32^nd clue: On February the 28^th, 1942, 5 days after the Zweigs' tragedy, reinforcements were requested to protect President Vargas Palace in Petrópolis from an imminent attack from Nazi sympathizers ( President Vargas' diary). The attack didn't happen, nevertheless, reinforcements arrived promptly.

33^rd clue: During March, 1942, Nazi Gestapo agents were arrested in Brazil and allegedly Filinto Müller helped them to flee. Filinto Müller was only exonerated from his National Police Chief Office on July 1942.

34^th clue: On the posturing of the corpses, considering all photos: A) It is quite unlike for Stefan Zweig to hold his wife embraced, had he as it was then suspected ingested a high amount of a barbiturate. In that case, due to the strong sedative effects, most probably his arms and forearms would stay extended alongside his body. B) Moreover, it is quite unbelievable that his wife had she ingested cyanide would keep that nestling position with a somewhat elevated left upper limb plus left hand laying peacefully upon the pillow at the right side of Stefan's head. Neither would she stay at Stefan's left side with the levitating left forearm and hand, as it was suggested by the other photographed version. C) As, any "help" from outsiders was "completely dismissed" by the authorities, I wonder what they had in mind as a more plausible explanation for items (A) and (B).

35^th clue: Being the Zweigs "quite convinced that life was not worthwhile", and when a depressive disturbance condition has been the only largely acceptable as the unquestionable cause throughout all these years, it is really amazing how the Zweigs worked extremely hard in their last few days of life in order to leave everything well organized including the transference of their personal belongings to people in need, besides Stefan Zweig's taking time to revise his last will; a complete fulfillment of a very busy agenda. Naturally, in any case we cannot doubt that their personal situation was the most unfortunate one. However they kept fighting on, paradoxically they didn't seem to be giving up. Stefan Zweig even left his pencils well sharpened.

In the discarded papers basket: in reference to the news article published in " O Globo ", Rio, February the 24^th, 1942 ("Correio do Povo " of Porto Alegre): " Among the pages of a discarded original, Zweig commented on the hard life of the Jews of Germany, enslaved, tortured and submitted to the more condemnable processes of savagery, and affirmed not to be unaware of the attention that was devoted to him in Berchtesgaden, where he was considered the most dangerous intellectual enemy of Nazism ". " However, he wrote, "Thomas and Heinrich Mann have a greater value than myself ".

Discussion: Stefan Zweig had to be informed directly about the "Berchtesgaden opinion on him"; otherwise, if it was the guesswork of someone, he would mention the author of such a declaration and probably he would be pointing out towards the excesses of that evaluation. ** "Berchtesgaden" was nothing more than the place where Hitler had his mountain residence. In this document, the word " Berchtesgaden " is used metaphorically in the place of Hitler and his more close associates. If that information had not arrived to the meticulous Zweig more directly and as a believable message, he would have declared that to be the opinion from a friend, newsman, another person, or from a shady figure that took advantage from anonymity to attack him. After all, he didn't seem to consider himself the most important of the exiled intellectuals, at least it is what he seems to be stating when writing that Thomas Mann and Heinrich Mann were of more value than he himself, finding odd the " deference " of being considered the most dangerous Jewish intellectual by the Nazis. Apparently, no official and public declaration of the Nazi government on Stefan Zweig was commented by the Brazilian Press, it didn't seem that he was officially hunted, otherwise, the press would have hinted on that. It would be like to admit that "Pacifism " was the major threat against the " Nazi tyranny ", certainly, such inference should not be in the best interest of the latter.

**(One kilometer above Berchtesgaden, a lawyer of Hamburg built a house in the style of the Bavaria called Haus Wachenfeld (House for field watching). Hitler rented the house from him in 1925. When Hitler finally bought the property, it was presented in postal cards as " the small cottage of the Chancellor of the people ". The architect Delgado was called to reform and to extend the house that then was named as " the yard of the mountain " or ' Berghof '.)

The easiest assumption is to consider the case of the Zweigs as another case where suicide occurred as a consequence of a melancholic temperament, enormous pressures when they were trying to find a place in a violent world, having to bear losses, separation from their loved ones and even threats and hostility. They did have time to plan all the main aspects of their "departure" in order to not cause undue distress to other people and were generous, thinking about how to help other people with their personal possessions. However, there are so many loose ends in this assumption. Discrepancies should be carefully considered even if we could not prove with more accuracy, what really happened to the Zweigs. An admixture of metaphors and events that speak for themselves make one to consider induced suicide ( murder) as a hypothesis very hard to be dismissed.

*Professor Dr. Silvio Saidemberg, 53 years old, psychiatrist, graduated from UNICAMP Medical School (Brazil), fully licensed to practice medicine in Pennsylvania, New York State and District of Columbia; presently fully licensed in S. Paulo. Had his residency in general psychiatry at the affiliated program to the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1973 up to 1976: (Warren State Hospital, Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Hamot Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital ).

Board certified in psychiatry USA- 1977 and Brazil- 1981.

Instructor and Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from the University of Rochester at the Strong Memorial Hospital, NY; from 1976 to 1978.

Chief of the Closed Adolescent Unit at the Washington Psychiatric Institute; Washington DC. 1978.