Jewish Identities in Jewish Identities in ViennaVienna

Becky DernbachBecky Dernbach

German 346German 346

March 1, 2006March 1, 2006

BackgroundBackground

Anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism ZionismZionism Formative period for HitlerFormative period for Hitler Major cultural figuresMajor cultural figures

Sigmund Freud

Stefan Zweig

Gustav Mahler

Arnold Schönberg

Berta Zuckerkandl

Adele Bloch-Bauer

Arthur Schnitzler

Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Peter Altenberg

History and RevolutionHistory and Revolution

Long history of anti-Semitism in Long history of anti-Semitism in ViennaVienna

Revolution, 1848Revolution, 1848 Edict realized in 1868Edict realized in 1868 GrowthGrowth

– Viennese Jewish population doubled Viennese Jewish population doubled 1869-791869-79

– 28 fold increase between 1857-191028 fold increase between 1857-1910

Counter-revolutionCounter-revolution

Revolution not universally popularly Revolution not universally popularly supportedsupported

Emergence of modern anti-Semitic Emergence of modern anti-Semitic ideologyideology

Bourgeois-liberal ideas meant anti-Bourgeois-liberal ideas meant anti-Semitism could not flourish right Semitism could not flourish right awayaway

Post-Revolution PlightPost-Revolution Plight

Nominal equalityNominal equality In some ways, situation did not In some ways, situation did not

improveimprove Discrimination, stereotypes Discrimination, stereotypes

aboundedabounded

Common StereotypesCommon Stereotypes

Extremes of exaggerated displays of Extremes of exaggerated displays of wealth or total laziness (wealth or total laziness (Luftmensch Luftmensch syndrome)syndrome)

Arranged marriagesArranged marriages HagglingHaggling Excessive fertilityExcessive fertility Disdain for manual laborDisdain for manual labor

Liberalism and CapitalismLiberalism and Capitalism

Both strongly associated with Both strongly associated with JudaismJudaism

Center of Catholic romanticismCenter of Catholic romanticism Collapse of liberalism Collapse of liberalism no allies for no allies for

JewsJews Stock market crash of 1873Stock market crash of 1873

Politics and ChristianityPolitics and Christianity

August Rohling—August Rohling—Der TalmudjudeDer Talmudjude Eduard Taaffe, 1879—Premier of Eduard Taaffe, 1879—Premier of

AustriaAustria Österreichische Österreichische

ReformvereinReformvereinChristian Social PartyChristian Social Party Georg von Schönerer, 1885—Georg von Schönerer, 1885—

AbgeordneteAbgeordnete

Karl LuegerKarl Lueger

Mayor 1897-1910Mayor 1897-1910 Originally Jewish himselfOriginally Jewish himself ““Schauspieler”Schauspieler” Salience of religion, cultural rootsSalience of religion, cultural roots ““Only the blind and deaf could fail to Only the blind and deaf could fail to

note an ominous change in the note an ominous change in the atmosphere, a chilling decline in civility, atmosphere, a chilling decline in civility, a more open expression of hitherto a more open expression of hitherto latent anti-Jewish latent anti-Jewish ressentimentressentiment” ” (Weitzmann 135)(Weitzmann 135)

Anti-Semitism and Anti-Semitism and AcademiaAcademia

1875—Theodor Billroth’s racial 1875—Theodor Billroth’s racial difference thesisdifference thesis

1880—fraternity exclusion1880—fraternity exclusion– Waidhofener PrinzipWaidhofener Prinzip

University students highly anti-University students highly anti-SemiticSemitic

Self-AwarenessSelf-Awareness

Revolution began new stageRevolution began new stage Force of anti-SemitismForce of anti-Semitism Growing numbers of JewsGrowing numbers of Jews Different movements developedDifferent movements developed

AssimilationismAssimilationism

Strong assimilationist thrust? Strong assimilationist thrust? (Schorske 7)(Schorske 7)

Still separatist in many waysStill separatist in many ways Ideal of Jewish bourgeoisieIdeal of Jewish bourgeoisie Mainstream Judaism assimilationist if that means “the adoption of the Mainstream Judaism assimilationist if that means “the adoption of the

lifestyle of the non-Jewish majority and the reform of religious practices to lifestyle of the non-Jewish majority and the reform of religious practices to make them more adaptable to modern life and to the norms of behaviour make them more adaptable to modern life and to the norms of behaviour current in the country of which they were citizens” (Weitzmann 124)current in the country of which they were citizens” (Weitzmann 124)

GymnasiumGymnasium education education

Religious/Societal Religious/Societal DichotomyDichotomy

Secularizing Jewish lifestylesSecularizing Jewish lifestyles Choosing between assimilating, Choosing between assimilating,

staying culturally Jewishstaying culturally Jewish Working SaturdaysWorking Saturdays Economic issuesEconomic issues Remained separateRemained separate

LeopoldstadtLeopoldstadt

Largest concentrationLargest concentration ““Ghetto” but attractiveGhetto” but attractive Strengthened identity internally, Strengthened identity internally,

externallyexternally Jews in workforceJews in workforce

ZionismZionism ““What bound the Zionists together was their ideology: that Jews What bound the Zionists together was their ideology: that Jews

were a people whose vital existence could not be defined in were a people whose vital existence could not be defined in religious terms, that this concept of nationality transcended class religious terms, that this concept of nationality transcended class and other divisions within Jewry and bound together all Jews who and other divisions within Jewry and bound together all Jews who committed and submitted themselves to their national destiny, a committed and submitted themselves to their national destiny, a national homeland in Palestine” (Weitzmann 144) national homeland in Palestine” (Weitzmann 144)

Jewish nationalism within AustriaJewish nationalism within Austria

Jewish CultureJewish Culture

““The Jew belongs in the coffeehouse” The Jew belongs in the coffeehouse” (Beller 41)(Beller 41)

EducationEducation Political impotence Political impotence creative creative

energyenergy Response to lack of collective Response to lack of collective

identity among assimilated Jewsidentity among assimilated Jews

ConclusionConclusion

Responded to growing number and Responded to growing number and growing anti-Semitism by growing anti-Semitism by strengthening various identitiesstrengthening various identities

Reveals flaws in romanticized eraReveals flaws in romanticized era Roots of anti-SemitismRoots of anti-Semitism