The Markstein collection consists of: series 1, personal documents; series 2, correspondence; series 3, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; series 4, research and scholarship; series 5, photographs and drawings, and series 6, audio materials, floppy discs, and flash drives.

Series 1, personal documents, relates to both Elisabeth Markstein and her family; many of the items date from the period when the family lived in the Soviet Union.

Series 2, correspondence, constitutes a substantial portion of the papers. The first subseries, family correspondence, includes letters between Johann and Hilde Koplenig and other family members, as well as letters of miscellaneous correspondents with Johann and/or Hilde Koplenig. The second subseries consists of correspondence with the Mirov family, who were Markstein's closest friends in Russia. Markstein first met Nadezhda Iakovlevna Mirova (1927-2009) in 1938. After graduating from Moscow State U., Nadezhda Mirova taught literature in the Moscow schools until her retirement in 2008. Her husband, Lazar Ilich Lazarev (actual surname Shindel; 1924-2010) was a literary critic and the author of many books. He worked for Voprosi Literatury from 1961 and served as its chief editor from 1991. General correspondence comprises the third subseries; in a personal and professional capacity, Elisabeth Markstein exchanged letters with a wide range of individuals including Lev Kopelev, Henrich Böll, Viktor Nekrasov, Vasillii Aksenov, Joseph Brodsky, and Efim Etkind.

Series 3, Solzhenitsyn, also contains serveral subseries; however, the most important section is Markstein's correspondence with Fritz Heeb, Nikita Struve, Stepan Tatischeff, as well as with many other Solzhenitsyn scholars, publishers, and translators. The letters, the bulk of which are from 1969 through 1974, are arranged chronologically based upon Markstein's original organization. The correspondence between Markstein and Heeb hold numerous enclosures and attachments (many of which were translated from Russian to German by Markstein); they include letters by Solzhenitsyn to Heeb, legal documents such as Solzhenitsyn's will as well as publisher contracts, draft agreements, and other materials.

Series 4, research and scholarship, includes Markstein's dissertation, her teaching materials (folders and index cards), her articles, and translation work.

Series 5, consists primarily of photographs which are varied: some of them were taken during the 1930s and 1940s during the family's exile from Austria, and others are more current photos of daughters and grandchildren.

Series 6 consists of audio materials, floppy discs, and flash drives. The audio materials contain the interview that Elisabeth and Heinz Markstein conducted with Joseph Brodsky when he was exiled to the West in 1972, poetry readings by Brodsky as well as by Naum Korzhavin, and taped radio broadcasts. The computer files are varied: from research notes and article drafts to photographs of grandchildren.

When Elisabeth Koplenig's family fled Austria because of the growing strength of the Nazis, they used false identification papers. The eye exam records show the mother and daughter using the name Steinbrunner.

School certificates "for excellent performance and good behavior"; Elisabeth Koplenig spent the war years in Russia and attended school there; 2 of the certificates were issued by a Moscow school, while the 1942 certificate was given by a school in Cherepanikha.

Item appears to be an early school exercise with regard to cities and their populations.

A short descriptive "essay" written as a school exercise and touching upon Paris and other subjects.

ID testifies to the fact that the bearer is a delegate to the communist youth organization.

Documents are in Russian with translations into German.

The last card (1968) is issued to Elisabeth with her married name, while the 2 earlier cards ((1944, 1948) are issued to Koplenig. 2 of the 3 cards are for the premier institute, the Russian State Library

Folder includes a school medal awarded for "excellent performance and good behavior," a Komsomol pin, and a communist party pin.

Documents relate to the births of two of Markstein's daughters.

Certificates from the U. of Vienna testify to proficiency in translation, Slavic philology, East European history, etc.

Copy of a diploma testifying to proficiency in Russian as well as an official medical certificate testifying to paralysis in the left arm and the resulting inability to type with both hands.

Poem in 9 stanzas written in Russian and signed by 21 friends.

The original of the curriculum vitae is in Russian with a copy of a translation; resumes include lists of publications. Folder includes Elisabeth Markstein's business card.

Most of the pages are photocopies or carbon copies.

Folder includes letters in English written by Sidney Monas (UT-Austin) and John Bowlt (Institute of Modern Russian Culture).

Folder includes primarily photocopies.

Markstein was appointed visiting lecturer for the academic year of 1975-1976.

Folder includes a letter sent to the U. of Texas at Austin on behalf of Markstein.

Folder includes the Austrian State Prize for literary translation as well as the Aurora Borealis prize for the translation of fiction.