Language:
German
Pages:
186 Bl.
Year of publication:
1994
Dissertation note:
Wien, Univ., Diss., 1994
Keywords:
Bikūrē haIltīm
;
Geschichte
Abstract:
eng: The two most significant Hebrew annuals in the first half of the 19th century, Bekure Haitim (BI) and Kerem Chemed (KCh), were published in Vienna. At that time Jews were only tolerated in Vienna temporarily and were not allowed to get organized as a community. Nevertheless, the biggest printing house in the Hapsburg monarchy was established in Vienna, though under Christian proprietorship. These circumstances made Vienna a neutral place where everybody could publish with no interfering due to the religious and cultural developments and strifes which shook the Jewish communites throughout Europe. Thus, much of the Haskalah literature was published in Vienna, including the two year books, BI and KCh. BI was published annually from 1820 to 1831, KCh intermittently from 1833 to 1856. Periodicals usually reflect the image of their time. Can this also be said of these two? A careful examination shows trends which characterize the difference between the Enlightenment movement in Germany, which led to assimilation and many Christianizations and that in the Hapsburg monarchy. At a time in which in Germany practically all the published literature was in written in German, the tendency in Vienna went the opposite way. In the first volumes of BI there are many essays in German (printed in Hebrew letters), later volumes have fewer essays in German and in KCh the Hebrew language prevails. This clinging to the Hebrew language already conspicuously shows the way of the Haskalah movement in the Hapsburg monarchy. There people were determined to acquire general and high education but as their language and the topics they discussed show, they were not prepared to go the way at least a part of the German Jews went. BI and KCh reflect the thoughts of religious and traditional Jews in the Hapsburg monarchy, who pursued the modern way of life without ever renouncing their Jewish identity.
Permalink