German-Jewish Cultural Identity from 1900 to the Aftermath of the First World War : : A Comparative Study of Moritz Goldstein, Julius Bab and Ernst Lissauer / / Elisabeth Albanis.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter DGBA Backlist Complete English Language 2000-2014 PART1
• VerfasserIn: Albanis, Elisabeth,
• Place / Publishing House: Tübingen : : Max Niemeyer Verlag, , [2013]; ©2002
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Edition: Reprint 2013
• Language: English
• Series: Conditio Judaica : Studien und Quellen zur deutsch-jüdischen Literatur- und Kulturgeschichte , 37
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (310 p.)

By illustrating the quintessentially different self-perceptions of three German writers of Jewish background, all born in or around 1880 in Berlin, this book examines a range of German-Jewish identities in a socio-cultural context in Wilhelmine Germany. Moritz Goldstein (1880-1977), the conflict of his dual identity and the interplay between being a German writer and a cultural Zionist is covered first. Particular attention is given to the genesis of his essay 'Deutsch-jüdischer Parnaß' with its call for Jews to vacate their seats in German literary culture. The range of positions unfolding in the debate, following its publication in 'Der Kunstwart' in 1912, serves to illustrate the spectrum of German-Jewish self-definition at the time. In the second part, the writings of Julius Bab (1880-1955) are examined in so far as they shed light on his advocation of a synthesis of 'Deutschtum' and 'Judentum'. The far side of the spectrum of German-Jewish self-definition is represented by Ernst Lissauer (1882-1937), who propagated complete assimilation, considering the Jewish element as an obstacle which had to be overcome on the road to 'Deutschtum'. This study depicts how external cultural and political influences shaped the transformation of their ideas of what it meant to be Jewish in Germany and how they responded to increasing anti-Semitism. By recognising the way in which the individual's cultural identity was constantly refashioned in the face of external challenges, a fuller understanding of the evolving self-perception of German Jews is reached.

Indem es die im Wesentlichen unterschiedlichen Selbstwahrnehmungen von drei zeitgenössischen deutschen Schriftstellern jüdischer Abstammung aufzeigt, untersucht dieses Buch eine Reihe deutsch-jüdischer Persönlichkeiten in einem sozio-kulturellen Kontext im wilhelminischen Deutschland. Die Erkenntnis der Art und Weise, wie die kulturelle Identität des Individuums - Moritz Goldsteins (1880-1977) kultureller Zionismus, Julius Babs (1880-1955) Synthese von "Deutschtum" und "Judentum" und Ernst Lissauers (1882-1937) Befürwortung der vollständigen Assimilation - sich als Reaktion auf die Herausforderungen des zunehmenden Antisemitismus ständig wandelte, ermöglicht dem Leser, ein besseres Verständnis der sich entwickelnden Selbstwahrnehmung der deutschen Juden zu erlangen.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Chapter I: The Legal, Socio-Historical, and Political Background of German Jewry 1869-1918 -- Chapter II: Moritz Goldstein: An Example of the German-Jewish Cultural Dilemma: A Cultural Zionist Stance -- Chapter III: Julius Bab: An Example of a ›Prosymbiotic‹ Stance on German-Jewish Culture and Identity -- Chapter IV: Ernst Lissauer: An Example of a German Nationalist with a Jewish Background -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index