Language:
German
Year of publication:
2005
Titel der Quelle:
Die Welt des Islams
Angaben zur Quelle:
45,3 (2005) 370-411
Keywords:
Antisemitism History 18th century
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Jews History 1500-
;
Orientalism History
Abstract:
Edward Said assumed that he could ignore Germany in his study of Orientalism because, until relatively late, it had no colonies. Rohde argues that Germany, however, did have colonial ambitions, and that meantime it practiced an inner colonialism toward its Jews. Even Germans like Dohm who advocated emancipation of the Jews held that German Protestantism was superior to any other culture and that Jews must assimilate. The Jews were identified with the Orient. Hebraic studies were part of Oriental studies, and were mostly confined to biblical Israel. Post-biblical Jewry was considered degenerate. The Wissenschaft des Judentums arose to counter this attitude but never won recognition by German universities. An example of the approach of German scholars is Johann David Michaelis. His work "Mosaisches Recht" (written in cooperation with a Swedish jurist, 1770-75), shows the "Asiatic" character of Jewish law and pleads for emancipation of Europe from its remnants. He advocated the deportation of Jews to (yet to be established) German colonies abroad. Both Treitschke and Rathenau saw Jews as a foreign, Oriental race. Jews were also seen as effeminate. The Wissenschaft des Judentums movement rationalized Judaism to bring it in line with European enlightenment. But other Jews reacted by affirming their Oriental roots, in art, literature, and synagogue architecture. They idealized the integration of Jews in Muslim Spain as a model for the integration they hoped, vainly, to achieve in Germany.
DOI:
10.1163/157006005774774820
URL:
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