Volume XXXI No. 6 June, 1976 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOOAim W XWISH ROKEES HI CHEAT OIITAHI 'r erner Rosenstock at these meetings — convened by not speci­ fically Jewish learned societies and on a wider basis than the Scholars' Conference at Arden House in 1973 under the auspices of TWO SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARIES the LBI—are reprinted in this Year Book. In Braunschweig, Professor Reinhard Ruerup illustrates the "Jewish Question" in Gennany Robert Weltsch and the L.B.I. Year Book 1850-1890 by stating that in spite of the Libe­ ral conception according to which the Jews When, shortly after its inception, the Leo to the man, we now tum to his latest work, differed from the majority population only ^^eclc Institute decided to include in its pro- the 20th Year Book. From a general point of by their religion, the term "baptised Jew" Sramme the publication of year books, some view, this volume symbolises the general was widely accepted. This indicated that the sceptics, including Martin Buber, warned transition it has undergone in the course of the concept of "Jew" was not exhausted by its ^gainst such an ambitious venture, because past two decades. Whilst the contributors to reUgious connotation. Ruerup also deals with 'hey had experienced on several previous oc­ the first voliunes were almost exclusively the effects of the increasing concentration of casions that one could never reckon on the Jewish scholars, who had spent part of their Jews in towns and quotes as examples that continuity of such annual publications. Now, adult lives in Gennany, the circle of authors already in 1875 in Berlin 4-7 per cent and *^ can state with pride that, perhaps as the has 'gradually widened. Thus, of the 18 in Frankfurt 11-6 per cent of the total popu­ '"csult of our "yeckishe" consistency, the 20th authors of the present volume, only three lation were Jewish. The general position of J'olume of the Year Book can be added to our belong to the "founder" generation (Dr. Ernest the Jews deteriorated in the 1870s as the °ook shelves.* This attainment is, in the first Hamburger, Hermann Kesten and Dr. Hans after-effect of the "Gruenderjahre", when Wace, due to the Year Book's editor, Robert Liebeschuetz). Two other Jewish German-born Liberalism lost its formative influence. Weltsch. Yet while the appearance of this authors (Dr. Lother Kahn and Dr. Fritz Stern) Jubilee" issue is already sufficient reason to were still children when the Nazis came to The Influence of Stoecker convey our congratulations to him, mention power. All the others are either young non- Hans Liebeschuetz reminds us that the same "lust also be made of the fact that it coincides Jewish German scholars or Jews and non- Houston Stewart Chamberlain, who in 1895 ]J?th an important event in his personal life, Jews bom in countries other than (Sermany, wrote the anti-Jewish Grundlagen des neun­ "^is 85th birthday on June 20. especially in the U.S. This change indicates zehnten Jahrhunderts, nine yeairs later, in a This issue carries several tributes to Robert the increase of the importance attributed to book on Kant, described Hermann Cohen as ''eltsch's personality and work. Each of the the research of German Jewish history. These the Nestor of Kant's correct interpreters. ^uthors sees him under a different aspect, young scholars cannot speak from first-hand While it is widely known that de facto un­ ^^termined by his own personal relationship experience. Yet their detachment may, on the baptised Jews were rejected as Reserve­ *ith him. And yet, within the limited space other hand, be a safeguard against an apolo­ offiziere in Prussia, it may be news to many °f this journal, the assessments complement getic approach. To avoid any misunderstand­ readers that Prince Wilhelm (later Emperor each other and represent an harmonious piece ing, we hasten to add that the research of Wilhelm II), under the influence of Stoecker, ^' chamber music. the Gennan Jewish scholars attached to the demanded the exclusion of Jews from the AJR Information may claim its, albeit LBI was equally unbiased and based on Press. The Prince approached the Minister of J^odest, place in this ensemble. Throughout thorough research. the Interior who, though also an opponent '"c years, the editor has bad the privilege of of the Liberal press, considered the request Publishing contributions by Robert Weltsch, German Jewry in Recent Literature as incompatible with the constitution. ??<!, on this happy occasion, he wants to thank Whilst in previous issues the editor, Robert The Jewish individual's need of coming to "•m for having enhanced the level of this Weltsch, wrote detailed introductions, forging terms with the German and Jewish compo­ P^Per by his co-operation. As the Grand Old the articles of the book into an organic entity, nents of his personality resulted in a variety *^^n among the Jewish publicists of our back- this time he restricted his own contribution of "solutions", as described in Hermann S^ound, he has constantly let us have the to a one-page "Preface". The actual Introduc­ Greive's paper on Jewish Self-Identification. "6nefit of his widespread knowledge and tion was written by Gerson Cohen, American- When the idea of the conservative Christian­ experience, coupled with the courage of ex- born Chancellor and Professor of Jewish isation of the State struck root in the popu­ Pressing his views, even if they were not in History at the Jewish Theological Seminary lation and also included anti-Jewish concep­ ^ccordance with those of the "establishment", of America. After having conveyed his birth­ tions, as expressed by Treitschke or, in a more i'l the course of the years, there have been day tribute to Dr. Weltsch, Professor Cohen crude way, by Stoecker, "German Jewry felt frequent exchanges of notes between "R.W." writes that the effort at finding "the bald itself thrown back at its own resources. and "W.R." Only one kind of advice, some­ truth, however dilficult to absorb ... is all This led to far-reaching consequences", and times given by "R.W." in an accompanying the more notable in view of the 'bad press' in 1893, when the antisemitic movement J^ote to an article was disregarded by the that German Jewry has had in recent litera­ reached its climax, the Centralverein deutscher eeipient, namely that the best way of using ture". This, of course, quite rightly does not Staatsbuerger Juedischen Glaubens was found­ 'ne manuscript would be to throw it into the prevent him from expressing critical views ed. Conversely, another effect of the post- ^te paper basket. Instead, like all his other about the dilution of Judaism which, in his liberal phase was the development of the ^i^cles, it was published, and the number of opinion, the German Jews paid as the price German section of the Zionist movement. PPfoving letters as well as the demands for for their emancipation. His is a thought pro­ These centripetal trends of the majority of additional copies re-affirmed that this was the voking and thoughtful introduction to the Jews are complemented by centrifugal efforts JT^ght procedure. Thus, overcoming the inhibi- problems unfolded in the following articles among a section of the tiny plutocratic Jewish lons of expressing personal feelings in public, of the Year Book. upper crust. Their position is described by ' may be justified on this unique occasion It is significant that two recent sessions of Lamar Cecil in his paper "Jew and Junker to confess that "W.R." looks up to "R.W." historians were devoted to the history of in Imperial Berlin", read at the Chicago Con­ ^^ the master out of reach with reverence German Jewry, one in Braunschweig at the vention. It refers in the first place to wealthy ^id affection. German Historikertag (October 1974) and one Jewish families in Berlin like the Schwabachs Having thus, at least briefly, paid tribute in Chicago (December 1974) organised by the and the Friedlaender-Fulds, and only to a American Historical Association under the lesser degree to the position of Jewish women bv*!'"' Book XX, Published for tlie Leo Baeek liMtltute heading "Integration of Jews in Nineteenth who married into noble families. Two features. DD °^<>'<er and Warburg, 1975. Editor Robert Weltsch. 380 '•'•> 15 illustrations. £7-50. Century Germany". Some of the papers read Continued on page Z, cotumii 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION June 1976 A. Lauckner on "The Jew in Post-War German TWO SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARIES Novels". One of her conclusions is that, understandably, the guilt feelings sometimes Continued from page 1 result in the creation of idealised, unrealistic characters. Altogether, the study is based on mentioned in the paper, deserve special refer­ not forget that the federal states after the 75 novels which are divided and subdivided ence. In their anxiety to appear equal to their First World War were the successors of old in several categories. Among them are the Gentile guests, the Jewish hosts avoided to established monarchies and principalities and refugees, the victims and the special case oi invite fellow-Jews to their ostentatious parties. that any undue curtailment of their rights the child as a victim. The refugees in turn Furthermore, quite a few of these wealthy would have been considered unorganic. are subdivided in the returnee, the avenger Jews inhabited houses in the Wilhelmstrasse Things only changed after the Second World and the Israeli. The authoress states that the district which had been sold to them by im­ War, when Prussia, having lost its territory number of novels on Jewish victims exceeds poverished aristocratic families; this change east of the Elbe, ceased to exist.