A unique correspondence begins in September 1957 between Arno Schmidt and the young employee of the Karl May Verlag, Hans Wollschläger. Initially, the exchange of letters, still formal, revolves around Karl May's later works and the controversial adaptations of the texts by the publishing house. However, it soon becomes more intense and personal, with a freer tone. Wollschläger holds a special position among Arno Schmidt's correspondents: Schmidt accepts him as a colleague and makes an effort to promote him as an author and translator. He facilitates assignments and advocates strongly for his novel Herzgewächse or the Case of Adams. In 1964, they begin translating the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe into German. Not in collaborative work, but in regular exchanges about the author and his works. It is only when Schmidt retreats to work on Zettels Traum that the contact becomes sparse.