INTERNATIONAL

News from other countries; translations and selections from homofile magazines abroad.

with the circle

in switzerland

One of the older and better-of the European homophile magazines. is the Swiss DER KREIS (The Circle). This magazine had its genesis in 1932 when a mixed group of Swiss friends (Schweiz. Freundschaftsverband) began the publication of an eight page pamphlet under the title SCHWEIZERISCHES FREUNDSCHAFTS BANNER (Swiss Friendship Banner). The title was changed, in 1937, to MENSCHENRECHT (Rights of Man). By 1939 it became apparent that the continuation of the sponsoring body as a mixed group was no longer desirable, so the present editor took charge, backed by an exclusively male group. In 1941 articles in French began to appear on occasion, and in 1943, after the name of the review was changed to DER KREIS (Le Cercle), they became a regular feature of the publication. An important addition to the worth of the magazine was made in 1944, with the publication of well chosen illustrations in each issue. Currently about eight full pages are devoted to photographs, reproductions of paintings or statues, or drawings. Finally in 1952 articles in English were added, and now the magazine appears regularly as a tri-lingual review of about forty

pages (At present about half German, with the remaining pages divided equally between French and English.)

In the first few issues of 1955 are found poems of Walt Whitman, translated into both German and French, a German article dealing with "Our Friends in the USA," a French review of a recent book "Les amours de l'enseigne Froelich" (more familiar to readers of ONE as James Barr's Quatrefoil), a rather interesting English short story, "Odd Man Out," as well as articles by friends of ours from the staff of ONE, William Lambert and Lyn Pedersen, commenting on the American scene for the benefit of our European friends. From the many fine reproductions I can single out some drawings of Thor of Chicago, drawings and photographs by Quaintance, and some extremely compelling photographic studies by Robert Rolf of New York.

But subscribers to DER KREIS receive more than the monthly issue. Since 1940 members of the group in Zürich, where the review has its headquarters, meet weekly to exchange ideas and information, and subscribers from other lands are welcome to these meetings. It should be noted that no group considers

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