The vast landscape of German-Jewish literature unfolds within a comprehensive handbook, meticulously charting its intricate history, pivotal geographical centers, and diverse forms. It stands as an essential compendium, gathering and evaluating decades of international scholarship on German-language literature by Jewish authors, a field that has seen intense research, particularly since the 1970s. This work addresses a long-standing need for a unified presentation of this rich and complex literary tradition.
The journey through this literary world begins with a historical exploration, tracing the relationship between Jews, Judaism, and German literature from the Middle Ages and early modern period. It delves into the evolving representations of the "Jewish" in fictional texts since 1750, examining instances of literary antisemitism alongside the emergence of the Haskalah, the early Jewish Enlightenment. The vibrant intellectual milieu of the Jewish salons in Berlin and Vienna around 1800 receives particular attention, as does the foundational "Wissenschaft des Judentums" (Science of Judaism) and its profound influence on the very concept of German-Jewish literature.
Further historical chapters navigate the political and cultural discourses leading up to 1848, the flourishing of the Jewish Renaissance and cultural Zionism, and the significant "Kunstwart-Debate," which saw intense controversies surrounding assimilation and cultural Zionism. The handbook also explores various diaspora concepts and their reflection in literature, the impact of the First World War on German-Jewish writing, and the tragic yet resilient literary output during the National Socialist era. It then extends to cover German-speaking Jewish exile literature, the literature produced in Mandate Palestine and later Israel from 1933 to 2014, and the profound literary responses to the Shoah by survivors. The historical narrative concludes with an examination of new beginnings and developments in German-Jewish literature since 1989, and its broader European context.
Beyond the chronological progression, the work illuminates the crucial "places and spaces" that nurtured and shaped German-Jewish literary expression. It brings into focus the distinctive characteristics of Berlin Modernism, the Expressionist movement, and the Jewish presence within them. The unique contributions of Viennese Modernism and the vibrant Prague German-Jewish literature are explored, as are the literary currents emanating from Czernowitz and the Bukovina region. A significant section is dedicated to the gaze upon "Eastern Jewry" and the pivotal role of German translations of Yiddish literature between 1897 and 1933, highlighting the intercultural dialogue and influences within this literary sphere.
The final section meticulously categorizes and analyzes the diverse genres, forms, media, and institutions that have defined German-Jewish literature. It examines the Jewish-historical novel, the poignant tradition of German-Jewish ghetto literature, and the deeply personal realm of German-Jewish autobiography. The evolution of modern German-Jewish religious literature is discussed, alongside the distinctive role of Jewish humor in the German-Jewish modern age, and the influence of aggadic narrative literature. The handbook also provides detailed insights into drama and theater, both before and after 1933, the landscape of German-Jewish periodicals, and the development of Jewish children's and youth literature. Finally, it sheds light on the "Jewish book" itself and the crucial role played by Jewish publishing houses within the German-speaking world, concluding with a look at the intersection of German-Jewish existence and film.
