suffered in the Holocaust; during that period, there were INVENTING A DISCIPLINE: no other organizations specifically advocating for the THE LEO BAECK INSTITUTE collection and maintenance of documents of German-Jewish AND GERMAN-JEWISH STUDIES history. Frank Mecklenburg Close to fifty years later, with the support of three hundred years, but including earlier hen you enter the reading generations of survivors, students, and periods as well. There are also constant room of the Center for Jewish scholars, German-Jewish studies has additions to the collections to include WHistory at 15 West 16th Street, emerged as a distinctive field of contemporary history and developments. you have access to the combined library scholarship, which not only offers and and archival collections of its three main The original plan of the founders of the engages historical and cultural analysis of research organizations—the YIVO Leo Baeck Institute in 1955 was to gather the Holocaust and the Third Reich, but Institute for Jewish Research (YIVO), the whatever documents were still available in also explores the richness of German- American Jewish Historical Society order to research and write the history of Jewish heritage. Without the (AJHS), and the Leo Baeck documentation collected, Institute (LBI). These processed, organized, and collections attract thousands of preserved at LBI, the study of researchers annually from this legacy would be far more around the world to study all difficult. Indeed, it took forty aspects of Jewish history. With years to write the history LBI’s collection alongside those envisioned by LBI’s founders: of YIVO and AJHS, German- German Jewish History in Jewish studies can now be Modern Times, 1600–1945 evaluated in the context of (published in English Jewish history throughout the [1996–1998], German [1996- Diaspora. 1997], and Hebrew [2000]). For almost fifty years, the The four-volume work was written documents, printed followed by an additional materials, and artistic objects of volume on the history of German-speaking Jewry have everyday life. This fifth volume been collected and preserved is currently available in German, through the efforts of the Leo German-Jewish History in Modern Times / edited by Michael A. Brenner; assistant and will appear in English in Baeck Institute, which, in editor, coordinator: Fred Grubel. (New York: Columbia University Press; 2004 and in Hebrew in 2005. Leo Baeck Institute, 1996-1998). Courtesy of the Leo Baeck Institute, New York. addition to its location in New Together, the five-volume York, has offices in Germany and centers German-speaking Jewry, a community history is an invaluable resource. which had been virtually decimated by the in Jerusalem and London. The LBI New The Institute’s publications serve as Nazis. The founders’ intention was to tell York relocated in the summer of 2000 to important venues for the scholarship that the story of German-speaking Jewry up to the Center for Jewish History and, in the collections make possible. Perhaps the the Holocaust; to reveal the important September 2001, opened a joint archive cornerstone of its periodical publications is cultural, scientific, and social contributions facility with the new Jewish Museum in the Leo Baeck Institute Year Book, an of Central European Jews before the Berlin. The collections of LBI New York annual collection of scholarly articles and catastrophe; and to portray the changing are now available on microfilm at the annotated bibliography on research lifestyles of Orthodox as well as Jewish Museum in Berlin. LBI’s holdings pertaining to all aspects of German- assimilated Jews in Central Europe over include more than 70,000 library titles, speaking Jewry. Additionally, a series of the preceding two hundred years. It is 4,000 linear feet of unpublished monographs (now numbering sixty-eight) important to note that the Leo Baeck documents in over 6,000 archival have been published over the years in the Institute was established at a time when collections, 1,500 memoir manuscripts, an LBI’s academic series (Wissenschaftliche the main organization of Jews from extensive art collection, and 30,000 Schriftenreihe) by the German publisher Central Europe, the Council of Jews from photographs. All of these sources pertain Mohr-Siebeck Verlag in Tübingen. Many Germany, was preoccupied with the to the history and culture of German- books have been published in conjunction speaking Jewry, mainly in the past two preparation of restitution claims for losses 10 HE VISION OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE EO AECK The vision of the founders of the Leo T L B Baeck Institute has turned out to be INSTITUTE HAS TURNED OUT TO BE CRITICAL TO POST- critical to post-World War II historical research. Access to the resources of the WORLD WAR II HISTORICAL RESEARCH. LBI in particular, and at the Center for Jewish History in general, means that the with the LBI. One of the best known, includes over 65 linear feet of entire spectrum of Jewish life—personal, Jewish Life in Germany: Memoirs from manuscripts, correspondence, and a professional, communal—can be studied Three Centuries, edited by Monika complete collection of articles and reviews under one roof. For a people of the Richarz (1991), draws on memoirs from by and about this distinguished historian. Diaspora, this is a remarkable feat. the archives. These and other LBI holdings are The archives are the truly unique available through the Institute’s online Frank Mecklenburg is the Director of centerpiece of LBI’s holdings. Efforts to catalogue (www.lbi.org), through which Research and Chief Archivist at the Leo preserve the heritage of German-speaking patrons may order specific materials Baeck Institute, New York. Jewry are ongoing, accelerated by the age electronically. The LBI’s Web site also of the survivor population. From the offers links to other resources and sites of many archival collections, one recent interest to scholars of German-speaking acquisition is worthy of specific mention: Jewry. the George L. Mosse Collection, which Thank You The Association for Jewish Studies wishes to thank the Center for Jewish History and its constituent organizations— the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, and the Yeshiva University Museum— for providing us with office space at the Center for Jewish History.

Additionally, the AJS would like to thank the Leo Baeck Institute (www.lbi.org) for the use of photographs for reprint in this issue.

EXHIBITIONS AT THE CENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY Vienna: Jews and the City of Music, 1870-1938 [through June 30, 2004] Jewish Costumes in the Ottoman Empire: The Jews and the Turks Living Together for 500 Years [March 31 – May 15] Luminous Manuscript [opens April 4] Salon Paintings of the Leo Baeck Institute [through May 13] Alfred Kantor: An Artist’s Diary of the Holocaust [through June 13] Archie Rand: Iconoclast [through August 15, 2004] Margalit Mannor: The Philistines are Coming (Photopleshet) [through May 2, 2004] Janet Indick: Joyful Noise [through August 15, 2004] Tsirl Waletzky: Yerushe (Inheritance) [through May 2, 2004] Longing for the Sacred: Destroyed Synagogues [May 16-August 15, 2004] Rebecca Singer and Fred Spinowitz: Blessings and Bridges [May 16-August 15, 2004] Traders on the Sea Routes: 12th-Century Trade Between East and West [Ongoing]

Further information regarding programs, exhibits, and fellowships sponsored by the Center for Jewish History and its constituent organizations can be found at www.cjh.org.

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