Wittgenstein and Cambridge Family Resemblances

permission to practise medicine in Russia. I know that you are not in favour of my going there (and
I think I understand you). Therefore I must ask you whether, under these circumstances, you would
still be prepared to help me. I don’t like to ask you this question, not because I risk a “No”, but
because I hate asking any questions about this matter.
If you reply please just write on a P.C.: (a) No or (a) Yes, etc. (b) No, etc. as the case may be. I
shall not think it the least unkind of you if you answer both a and b negatively.
I left your room the other day with a sad feeling. It is only too natural that you shouldn’t entirely
understand what makes me do what I am doing, nor how hard it is for me.
Keynes’ introduction to Maisky, 10 July 1935
I must leave it to him to tell you his reasons for wanting to go to Russia. He is not a member of the
Communist Party, but has strong sympathies with the way of life which he believes the new régime
in Russia stands for.
Wittgenstein to Keynes, 18 March 1938
I want to describe to you my present situation and ask you whether you can by any chance, in some
way not too difficult for you, give me some advice or help. You know that by the annexation of
Austria by Germany I have become a German citizen and, by the German laws, a German Jew (as
three of my grandparents were baptised only as adults). The same, of course, applies to my brother
and sisters (not to their children, they count as aryans). As my people in Vienna are almost all retiring
and very respected people who have always felt and behaved patriotically it is, on the whole, unlikely
that they are at present in any danger. I have not yet heard from them since the invasion and there
hasn’t been time as they would wait in any case with giving me news until things had settled down
a bit. I wrote to them a week ago saying that if they needed me I would come home any time. But I
believe that they aren’t going to call me and also that I couldn’t at present do anything for them, except
possibly cheering them up a little. – If however I went to Vienna now the consequences would be
a) that my passport, being an Austrian one, would be taken away from me and b) that, in all
likelihood, no passport would be given to me; as passports, except in very special cases, are not, I
gather, issued to German Jews. I could therefore c) not leave Austria again and d) never again get a job.
My people, who were rich before the war, are still wealthyish and will probably, even when a lot
will be taken away from them, still have enough money to keep me (and they would gladly do so) but
I needn’t say this would be the last thing that I’ld wish to happen.
I also must say that the idea of becoming (or being) a German citizen, even apart from all the nasty
consequences, is appalling to me. (This may be foolish, but it just is so.)
For all these reasons I have now decided to try 1) to get a University job at Cambridge, 2) to
acquire British citizenship.
The thought of acquiring British citizenship had occurred to me before; but I have always rejected
it on the ground: that I do not wish to become a sham-Englishman (I think you will understand what
I mean). The situation has however entirely changed for me now. For now I have to choose between
two new nationalities, one of which deprives me of everything, while the other, at least, would allow me
to work in a country in which I have spent on and off the greater part of my adult life, have made my
greatest friends and have done my best work.
Now if I wish to try to become naturalised here I’m afraid I have to make haste; one of the reasons
being that (as Sraffa pointed out to me) it would be easier as long as I hold an Austrian passport. And
this I might have to give up before so very long.
As to getting a job at Cambridge you may remember that I was an assistant faculty lecturer for 5
years, and that the regulations don’t allow one to hold this job for more than 5 years. When my 5
years had expired the faculty allowed me to go on lecturing as before and they went on paying me as
before. Now it is for this that I shall apply, for there is no other job vacant. I had, in fact, thought of
doing so anyway; though not now, but perhaps next autumn. But it would be important now for me to
get a job as quickly as possible; for a) it would help me in becoming naturalised and b) if I failed in this
and had to become a German I would have more chance to be allowed out of Austria again on visiting
my people if I had a Job in England. […]
I want to add that I’m in no sort of financial difficulties. I shall have about 300 or 400 £ and can
therefore hold out for another year or so.