The Jewish Response to German Culture: From the Enlightenment to the Second World War

Reinharz, Jehuda; Walter Schatzberg (Edited by). The Jewish Response to German Culture: From the Enlightenment to the Second World War. Hanover; London: University Press of New England, 1985. Second printing. Quarto. XII, [4], 362pp. Original photographic wrappers. Based on papers delivered at an international historical conference at Clark University, these essays explore the unique symbiosis between Jews and German culture, examining such themes as the tension between emancipation and Jewish identity, the identification of Jews with the upheavals that transformed Germany into a dynamic industrial society, and the large Jewish contribution to the “nervous splendor” of fin de siecle Vienna. Disparate essays are unified by the general theme of German Jews’ doomed efforts to attain full acceptance within the wider society. The ultimate tragic failure of German Jewish emancipation, and the total destruction of the culture here described, cast a poignant shadow over this valuable and ably edited volume. Moderate shelf wear and creasing on wrappers. Some underlining and annotations in pen throughout. Wrappers and interior in overall fair to good condition. g. Softcover. (33613) $30