Language:
English
Year of publication:
2006
Titel der Quelle:
Slavic Review
Angaben zur Quelle:
65,3 (2006) 446-474
Keywords:
Kohn, Theodor,
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Jews History 1800-2000
;
Jews
;
Jews
Abstract:
The Catholic archbishop of Olomouc, Theodor Kohn, of Jewish descent, was elected in 1892 as a result of democratic stirrings in the Church and great hopes by both Czechs and Jews; however, he disappointed both of these groups. The Jews who hoped that he might oppose antisemitism were dismayed, for example, by his failure to denounce the blood libel charge in the Hilsner Affair, as well as by the way antisemites took advantage of his embattled position between Germans and Czechs to attach various anti-Jewish stereotypes to him. The nationalist Czech press led the way, and anti-Jewish articles were supplemented by caricatures. Kohn was vilified for betraying the Czech cause; the negative characteristics he was considered to embody were attributed to his Jewish origin. When he punished the wrong person for criticizing him, he was attacked in antisemitic terms not only by the right but also by the Social Democratic press, which portrayed him as a "typical" Jewish capitalist. After his censure by the Austrian Parliament in 1903, the Vatican, embarrassed by the discontent with Kohn, "encouraged" him to resign. Concludes that, despite his view of himself as a Christian martyr, Kohn actually suffered from his involuntary community of fate with the Jews.
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