The Newsletter of the American Friends Volume 6, Issue 2 of the Jewish Museum Hohenems, Inc. July 2005 I N TOUCH J ULYJ ULY 2005 2005 A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT C LAUDE ROLLIN, ESQ. subject he felt so passion- standing job creating in- ately about, namely, sup- teresting programs and Stephan Rollin porting the Jewish Museum exhibits, giving countless Founder in Hohenems. tours and responding to numerous requests for Claude Rollin, Esq. The Jewish Museum in information and assistance. President Hohenems is one of only Thanks to their tireless Mark Brunner Dear Friends, three Jewish museums in all efforts, many thousands of Vice President of Austria. One of its most people from around the It seems most appropriate important functions is to world have been able to see, Uri Taenzer, Esq. that I am writing this letter educate people, young and hear (and hopefully under- Secretary-Treasurer on Father’s Day since my old, Jewish and non-Jewish, stand), the rich history of father was a founder and about the events of the past the Jews who once lived in Trustees enthusiastic supporter of and how those events may Hohenems. Dr. Robert Amler the American Friends until influence our future. In my Ronald Bernell his death last year. Since I judgment, the museum The heart of the museum is can no longer speak to him, staff, ably led by Dr. Hanno its permanent exhibition, Doris Billes I’ll speak to you about a Loewy, has done an out- (Continued on page 2) Nadia Follman Harvey Gutman N EWS FROM THE MUSEUM James Hirschfeld D R . HANNO LOEWY Francesca Brunner Kennedy THE TÄNZER- SCHNELL personality in a profound Hon. Susan Shimer EXHIBITION The exhibition about this and intimate way that great German-Jewish liberal touched a lot of visitors. Monica Wollner On March 8, 2005, the Mu- rabbi and reformer was cu- seum opened a double fea- rated by Eva-Maria Hesche The exhibition presented In Touch Editor: ture exhibition, one that pre- and Patrick Gleffe of the Mu- Aron Tänzer’s various at- Susan Shimer sented two impressive per- seum Staff, with support by tempts to create order and sonalities who made signifi- Göppingen Archive director, harmony in the world and to Please send your In Touch cant contributions to Dr. Karl-Heinz Ruess. The understand Jewish history in articles to our editor Hohenems history. These exhibition included docu- the context of assimilation. ments in the archives in Göp- Tänzer’s own illusions about Susan Shimer personalities, Aron Tänzer and Bartolomäus Schnell, pingen (near Stuttgart), the German-Jewish “sym- 16 Pond Lane were two exciting and very where Tänzer served as the biosis” became the source Armonk, NY 10504 different characters. community’s rabbi from of much anguish at the end [email protected] 1907 until his death in of his life, as is evidenced by or The show, Aron Tänzer. 1937, as well as newly found his will in which he declared Uri Taenzer, Esq. Rabbi, Researcher, Collector documents that could be that no German language and Loving Pedant, was or- shown thanks to the gener- prayer should be spoken at 123 N. Church St., ganized on the occasion of ous support of this project by his funeral. Moorestown, N.J. 08057 the 100th anniversary of his the Tänzer family in New Jer- Phone: 856-235-1172 masterpiece: “The History of sey, Erwin Tänzer and Uri The Tänzer exhibition is now Fax: 856-235-1911 the Jews of Hohenems,” first Tänzer. This made it possi- on display in Göppingen, [email protected] published in 1905. ble to present Aron Tänzer’s (Continued on page 2) Page 2 Volume 6, Issue 2 A LETTER... N EWS FROM THE MUSEUM (Continued from page 1) which includes a lot of inter- esting artifacts and historical documents that help bring to (Continued from page 1) Parallel to the great show Chronicle of 1616, as well life our remarkable family presented by the Municipal on Aron Tänzer, the Mu- as many other prints, such histories. Archives, which also has a seum, together with the as newspapers, bath books, significant permanent exhi- Vorarlberg State Library, theater plays, political pam- Next year, the Museum staff bition about the history of presented an exhibition on phlets and necrologies from plans to completely redo the the Jewish community. Bartolomäus Schnell. the 17th century. It also permanent exhibit, which has Rowdy, Free Artist and Pio- included the study Aron not been updated since the At the opening of the exhibi- neer of the Art of Printing in Tänzer wrote about Schnell museum first opened in tion, Uri Tänzer himself par- Vorarlberg. The exhibition in 1900, the first text ever 1991. The staff is just ticipated in a conference of project, put on track years written about the history of starting to develop ideas for this major redesign project. historians, organized by the ago by the Jewish scholar, printing in Vorarlberg. The You can read some of their Museum and the Alemannia the late Erik Weltsch, while exhibition also covers an- preliminary thoughts in the Judaica Association on working with the State Li- other project of Schnell and article entitled “The New March 12-13, 2005. That brary of Vorarlberg, enabled Wolf, the “first Jew of Permanent Exhibition Vision conference brought approxi- the Museum to present pre- Hohenems”, who planned of the Past – Vision for To- mately 45 historians and cious prints from the 17th on printing a Hebrew prayer morrow,” which appears on representatives of local mu- century, produced by the book in the 1620s. That page 5 of In Touch. As their seums, memorial sites, ar- first printing shop in Vorarl- project came to a halt when plans are further developed chives and initiatives from berg. Wolf was killed (under cir- and begin to crystallize, we the region between Freiburg cumstances never estab- will provide more details in and Ulm, Basel and Schnell’s printing factory lished) in 1624, and it fi- future editions of this Hohenems to the Museum. was installed in 1616 by nally ended with a legal con- newsletter. Uri Taenzer’s article on his the Count of Hohenems, to flict between Schnell and visit appears on page 10 in foster his political ambitions Wolf’s heirs. Thus, Over the years, the American this issue of In Touch. and to create resources for Hohenems never became Friends and some of its the cultural and political life the center of Hebrew print- individual members have of his territory. The year ing as it might have become contributed to the museum in 1616 was just a year before under more fortunate cir- many important ways, inclu- ding providing donations to the Count decided to en- cumstances. support specific projects. We courage the settlement of will undoubtedly be asked to Jews in Hohenems in order The exhibition also pre- contribute to the overhaul of to foster its economic fu- sented documents related the permanent exhibition ture. The exhibition in- to the history of the Jewish since it will be a major under- cluded the greatest master- Hohenems Reading Society, taking requiring significant Uri Taenzer presenting at the piece of book printing in founded in 1813, and rees- financial support from nu- Alemannia Judaica Confer- Vorarlberg (as Aron Tänzer tablished (naturally not as a merous public and private ence. put it in 1900), the Ems purely Jewish enterprise) in sources. In the next few 2004. months, I will confer with the trustees of the AFJMH to During the period that the discuss how we might best exhibition was in place, the support this project. Perhaps Museum, in collaboration we can establish a special with the Printing Museum fund and find a way to get Dornbirn, installed a print- matching funds for it to ing workshop in the base- increase our resources. We ment, where children, as will certainly keep you in- formed about our discus- well as adults, had the op- sions. portunity to experience old time printing technologies I hope everybody is enjoying themselves. the summertime! Thanks for your continued support of the American Friends. All the best, (Continued on page 3) Claude Rollin The Taenzer Exhibit. In Touch Page 3 N EWS FROM THE MUSEUM W E ARE P LEASED TO W ELCOME THE (Continued from page 2) ern world of mobility and N EW THE CURRENT EXHIBITION migration, of global ex- A SSISTANT TO change and the search for Jewish “Kitsch” And Other “authenticity,” that again THE DIRECTOR Secret Obsessions and again leads into con- Identity Shopping, God In flicts and wars. Detail And The Desire for the Objects of Luck Jewish The Jewish culture is rich in Kitsch@Hohenems – Why? rituals and its objects, per- A troll figure from the Kitsch formed mostly at home. Exhibit. The world of Jewish Kitsch This has created an abun- today is best explored on dance of identity objects the Internet and in souvenir that can be found in nearly On May 29, the Jewish Mu- shops. Jewish objects every Jewish household, be seum opened its great promise identity in a Dias- it religious or not. Only a summer show Jewish pora that did not cease to minority adheres to the Kitsch And Other Secret flourish after the rise of the laws of Kashrut and reli- Obsessions. More than State of Israel. Kitsch gious tradition in a literal 200 guests and journalists In March 2005, the Mu- seems to be a promise of sense. Nonetheless, the from Austria and abroad seum hired Birgit Sohler luck that maybe doesn’t material heritage repre- attended a most joyful as the assistant to the come to us in this world, but senting these traditions is event with many surprises.