230 Part III: Emigration Years
gained the impression that Oscar Wiesengrund was not yet clear in his
own mind about whether and when he might leave Europe for ever. In
his letter of February 1937, Horkheimer pointed out to Adorno that
both Britain and France would be suitable alternatives to the United
States as a base for further collaboration with the institute – however, in
both cases he would have to fend for himself as far as a career was
concerned. In contrast, once he had the Oxford doctorate, he would be
in a good position to obtain a university post in the United States, at
Harvard, for example. ‘At first sight, the most natural thing would seem
to be for you to move here from Britain after a reasonable time has
elapsed, unless extremely favourable prospects open up there.’^81
Because he was well able to picture the anxieties Adorno might be
feeling, he expressly mentioned the sums that Adorno could count on if
he agreed to sign a contract with the institute. With $350, he concluded,
‘the two of you could manage quite comfortably.’^82 Speaking here in the
plural, he evidently regarded a marriage (about which he had heard
from Adorno’s father) as a foregone conclusion. What he wanted above
all was to secure Adorno’s productivity and creative energy for the
benefit of the institute’s future research plans and its work on theory.
His plan included a renewed invitation to Adorno to visit America, an
invitation that Horkheimer would otherwise extend with such generos-
ity only to Benjamin. It is no wonder then that Adorno accepted with
some alacrity. He replied to Horkheimer enthusiastically: ‘My wish to
work with you directly is greater than any other; you may be sure that
this wish is not disguised by any academic ambition whatever, however
sublimated.’^83 He had already been to Frankfurt to take care of the
difficulty that his German passport had expired and had resolved
it without any particular complication. Furthermore, to his great relief,
and thanks to the assistance of the AAC, his application to the Home
Office for permission to stay in Britain indefinitely was granted.^84
In addition, he had received a two-year visa for France. In the four
months remaining until June, when he was due to go to New York, he
spent a few months away from Oxford in Paris, on institute business.
He looked after the French translation of Horkheimer’s essays which
the latter wished to have published. He spoke to Benjamin, Sohn-Rethel
and Kracauer about their different projects. Finally, he just managed
to find time to visit an exhibition devoted to the works of Constantin
Guys, the watercolour painter and graphic artist, in the Musée des
Arts Décoratifs.
Scarcely had he finished dealing with his various appointments, than
he travelled from Paris to Germany in order to visit his parents and
Gretel. For the summer term he returned to Oxford by car in late April
with his English friend Redvers Opie, who had visited him in Frankfurt.^85
Once in London he then tried to organize the ocean crossing. Needless
to say, he did not neglect his philosophical and musical projects, which
he tried to advance and, where possible, complete before his departure.