The correspondence between Jella Lepman and her cousin Max Horkheimer, the influential social philosopher and director of the Institut für Sozialforschung in Frankfurt, provides fascinating insights into Jella Lepman’s inner life. Both spent their childhoods in upper-class Jewish circles and often met at family gatherings but drifted apart in the 1920 s. During their years of flight and exile, Jella Lepman repeatedly contacted Max Horkheimer, who was living in exile in the US, for help. After 1945, they returned from exile to different cities in Germany, but rarely saw each other. However, they renewed their correspondence. It only ended with Jella Lepman’s death in 1970 and is characterized by Lepman’s great admiration for Horkheimer’s academic success and her heartfelt desire for closeness and exchange. However, the relationship remained one-sided throughout their lives, as Max Horkheimer usually responded reservedly to his cousin’s letters.