Language:
German
Year of publication:
1994
Titel der Quelle:
Weimarer Beiträge; Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft, Ästhetik und Kulturwissenschaften
Angaben zur Quelle:
40,3 (1994) 398-416
Keywords:
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von,
;
Jewish literature History and criticism
;
Jews in literature
;
Judaism in literature
Abstract:
Discusses Goethe's attitude to biblical and contemporary Judaism as expressed in his memoirs, essays, literary works, and conversations. He valued the Bible highly but rejected rabbinical Judaism, as he did every positive religion. Although friendly with many individual Jews who admired his works, he saw in contemporary Jewry more faults than virtues; but he admired the vitality, courage, and endurance of the Jewish people. He was critical of legal restrictions on Jews but feared that emancipation would upset the social and cultural order which was based on Christianity; this attitude explains pronouncements that have been considered antisemitic and that were even exploited by later antisemitic propagandists.
Note:
A revised version appeared as "Goethes Ansicht vom jüdischen Volk" in his "Juden und deutsche Literatur" (2006) 61-82.
URL:
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