Jewish Emancipation and the Rise of Modern Antisemitism Jewish Emancipation and the Rise of Modern Antisemitism

Jewish Emancipation in the German-speaking world was a process spanning over a century until in 1871 the newly founded German Empire granted full citizenship to its Jewish population. Modern antisemitism, while unfolding in full only after the foundation of the Empire, had its roots also in the early 19th century. In this seminar we will explore the dialectical relationship of emancipation and antisemitism in the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, including regional variations and transformative time periods, as both, Jewish emancipation and the rise of modern antisemitism, were not straight-forward processes or unavoidable. The material we read is written in the original German language but translations will be available. The course will be taught English, though. International students are very much welcomed.

Readings: The Berghahn Series “Perspectives on the History of German Jews”, 3 vols., New York 2024f.; Jacob Katz, From Prejudice to Destruction. Antisemitism 1700-1933, Cambridge/London 1982; Steven Katz, The Cambridge Companion to Antisemitism, Cambridge 2022; Michael Meyer, German-Jewish History in Modern Times, vols. 1-4, New York 1996-98.