Ficker, Ludwig von
(1880-1967)
Ficker described his first meeting with Trakl at the Café Maximilian in Innsbruck on May 22, 1912 thus:
Once again I arrived there soon after noon in order to meet at the so-called Brenner table of friends. I had hardly sat down, however, when at some distance a man stood out, who sat between two windows, which looked out over Maria Theresia Street , on a plush sofa and with open eyes seemed to ponder before himself. His hair was cut short, with a tinge of silver, the face of indeterminable age: oh, thus the stranger sat there, in an attitude, which was instinctively attractive and nevertheless betrayed an aloofness. But I already noticed, he also saw, apparently turned inward, with searching gaze repeatedly over toward us, and, hardly had I appeared , it did not last very long before a waiter handed his card to me: Georg Trakl. I stood up pleased — because shortly before I had published his poem ”Surburb in Foehn” --, welcomed him and asked him to our table.
