Between Philosemitism and Antisemitism: Defenses of Jews and Judaism in Germany, 1871-1932

by Alan T. Levenson, Alan T. Levenson (Afterword)

Overview

Philosemitism, as Alan T. Levenson explains, is "any pro-Jewish or pro-Judaic utterance or act." The German term for this phenomenon appeared in the language at roughly the same time as its more famous counterpart, antisemitism, and its emergence signifies an important, often neglected aspect of German-Jewish encounters. Between Philosemitism and Antisemitism is the first assessment of the non-Jewish defense of Jews, Judaism, and Jewishness from the foundation of the German Reich in 1871 until the ascent of the Nazis in 1932, when befriending Jews became a crime.

Levenson takes an interdisciplinary look at fiction, private correspondence, and published works defending Jews and Judaism in early twentieth-century Germany. He reappraises the missionary Protestant defense of Judaism and advocacy of Jewry by members of the German peace movement. Literary analysis of popular novels with positive Jewish characters and exploration of the reception of Herzlian Zionism further illuminate this often overlooked aspect of German-Jewish history.

Between Philosemitism and Antisemitism reveals the dynamic process by which a generally despised minority attracts defenders and supporters. It demonstrates that there was sympathy for Jews and Judaism in Imperial and Weimar Germany, although its effectiveness was limited by the values of a bygone era and scattered across the political and social spectrum.

Levenson's new afterword vividly surveys the past decade of philosemitism studies, and in a reading of Die Weltbühne, Weimar Germany's most celebrated leftwing intellectual journal, he justifies the widely contested term of philosemitism.

Alan T. Levenson holds the Schusterman Professorship for Jewish Intellectual and Religious History at the University of Oklahoma and is the author of An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thinkers: From Spinoza to Soloveitchik and The Making of the Modern Jewish Bible: How Scholars in Germany, Israel, and America Transformed an Ancient Text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803245761
Publisher:	Nebraska Paperback
Publication date:	07/01/2013
Pages:	230
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Alan T. Levenson is a professor of Jewish history at Laura and Alvin Siegal College of Judaic Studies.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgments xv

Part 1 Philosemitism in the Public Arena

1 Philosemitic Discourse in Imperial Germany 3

2 The German Peace Movement and the Jews 21

3 The Problematics of Philosemitic Fiction 44

4 Missionary Protestants and the Defense of Judaism 64

Part 2 Philosemitic Tendencies and Individuals

5 The Gentile Reception of Herzlian Zionism 93

6 Christian Author, Jewish Book? 110

7 An Adventure in Otherness 123

8 The Apostate as Philosemite 132

Appendix: The Case for Philosemitism 143

Afterword 149

Notes 165

Selected Bibliography 199

Source Acknowledgments 207

Index 209

Editorial Reviews

“Levenson presents a balanced picture that is neither apologetic of the German intellectual tradition nor indulges in the simplistic construction of an antisemitic German ‘national character.’ . . . The book is very interesting throughout, carefully argued and documented, and well-written. It should be widely read.”—Marcel Stoetzler, German Studies Review

German Studies Review - Marcel Stoetzler

“Levenson’s analysis is penetrating and his conclusions . . . are well worth considering.”—Daniel J. Rettberg, Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter

Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter - Daniel J. Rettberg

“Whether addressing voices in the German peace movement, authors of works of fiction, missionaries, or supporters of Herzlian Zionism, Levenson detects a common thread of otherness preventing any mutually constructive German-Jewish symbiosis from emerging. In the shadow of the Holocaust, Levenson demonstrates that all shades of anti-semitism were present in the German culture . . . the complex matrix of social interaction that made the Holocaust possible.”—D. A. Meier, Choice

Choice - D. A. Meier

“A vigorous defense of philosemitism as a moral and intellectual category in the history of German-Jewish relations from Bismarck to Hitler.”—Central European History

Central European History

“Levenson’s analysis is penetrating and his conclusions . . . are well worth considering.”—Daniel J. Rettberg, Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter

— Daniel J. Rettberg

Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter

“Levenson presents a balanced picture that is neither apologetic of the German intellectual tradition nor indulges in the simplistic construction of an antisemitic German ‘national character.’ . . . The book is very interesting throughout, carefully argued and documented, and well-written. It should be widely read.”—Marcel Stoetzler, German Studies Review

— Marcel Stoetzler

German Studies Review

“Whether addressing voices in the German peace movement, authors of works of fiction, missionaries, or supporters of Herzlian Zionism, Levenson detects a common thread of otherness preventing any mutually constructive German-Jewish symbiosis from emerging. In the shadow of the Holocaust, Levenson demonstrates that all shades of anti-semitism were present in the German culture . . . the complex matrix of social interaction that made the Holocaust possible.”—D. A. Meier, Choice

— D. A. Meier

Choice