The emergence of political anti-semitism in Germany in the last third of the nineteenth century.

Gellately, Robert John (1970) The emergence of political anti-semitism in Germany in the last third of the nineteenth century. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (18MB)

Abstract

It is the thesis or this dissertation that the sociopolitical phenomenon, termed anti-Semitism, is not much older than the term itself and is not a mere continuation of the traditional Christian hostility toward the Jews. The latter constitutes only a necessary, but not sufficient cause. Profound changes effecting society as a whole, due to the coincidence of Germany’s national unification under Prussian leadership with the onset of her rapid industrialization, gave rise to modern anti-Semitism. -- The traditional hostility toward the Jews was primarily of a religious nature. In the seclusion of their European ghettos they turned into a pariah caste. By early assuming economic functions disdained by good Christians they were regarded in time as the driving element of the new economic system and were blamed for its disruptive effect on the old religious and social order. -- The changing nature of the Jewish question was revealed during the constitutional debates of the North German Confederation (1866-1870) when the emancipation of the Jews became entangled Ln the conflict between those who wanted to retain the pre-industrial social order and those who proposed a new liberal order, with all its economic, political, legal, moral, and national implications. -- The new phenomenon of antisemitism emerging in the 1870's derived its initial support from those social groups who were adversely affected by the coincidence of rapid industrialization, depression, Kulturkampf and liberal Federal legislation. Political anti-Semitism represented part of an organized social-conservative backlash, and was re-enforced by the rising integral nationalism. Jews were now seen and portrayed in new roles which were explicitly dissociated from their religious background. They were alleged to be the prime movers behind and thus responsible for the negative effects of all these simultaneous radical changes.

Actions (login required)

View Item