My dear friend Overbeck,
I have just now had all anti-Semites shot.
Dionysos
P.S. The world is transfigured, for God is on the earth. Do you not see how all the heavens rejoice? I have just now taken possession of my kingdom, am throwing the Pope into prison, and am having Wilhelm, Bismarck, and Stöcker shot.
Actually I would much rather be a Basel professor than God; but I have not dared to carry my private egoism so far as to omit for its sake the creation of the world. You see, one must make sacrifices however and wherever one lives.
But I have reserved for myself a small student room, situated opposite the Palazzo Carignano (in which I was born as Vittorio Emanuele) which moreover allows me to hear the magnificent music below in the Galleria Subalpina.
I am paying 25 francs including service.
The Crucified One
About This Letter
Historical Context
One of the famous 'Wahnbriefe' (Madness Letters) written during Nietzsche's mental collapse in Turin, January 1889. Overbeck received this and traveled immediately to rescue his friend.
Significance
These final letters mark the tragic end of one of philosophy's greatest minds, showing the thin line between genius and madness that fascinated Nietzsche himself.
About Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher who proclaimed 'God is dead' and developed concepts like the Übermensch and eternal recurrence that revolutionized Western thought.
About Franz Overbeck
Franz Overbeck (1837-1905) was a German theologian and one of Nietzsche's closest friends who remained loyal through his mental breakdown and cared for him in his final years.
Additional Resources
- The Nietzsche Channel Archive of Nietzsche's 1889 correspondence
- Nietzsche Correspondence Archive Wikisource collection of Nietzsche letters