Home  /  Colloquia Humanistica  /  Núm: 9 Par: 0 (2020)  /  Article
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?Wir Deutschjuden”: The Image of Germans and Westjuden in the German-Language Jewish Press of the First World War and the Interwar Period

SUMMARY

?Wir Deutschjuden”: The Image of Germans and Westjuden in the German-Language Jewish Press of the First World War and the Interwar PeriodThe interwar period was a highly special time in reference to defining and constructing all kinds of cultural identities in Europe. One of the groups building their identity at the time were the so-called Westjuden, a Jewish community culturally defined as Ashkenazi assimilated under the influence of the Jewish Enlightenment (the Haskalah). In German territory, Westjuden considered themselves German citizens of the Jewish faith, thus separating themselves from the remaining groups of Ashkenazi Jews, i.e. the Ostjuden. Also describing themselves as Germans in the German-language Jewish press, Westjuden frequently characterized, analyzed, and searched for confirmation of their belonging to the German cultural circle.The aim of the article is to reconstruct the image of Germans and  Westjuden themselves in the German-language Jewish press at the time of the First World War and in the interwar period. „Wir Deutschjuden”: obraz Niemców oraz Westjuden w niemieckojezycznej prasie zydowskiej z okresu pierwszej wojny swiatowej oraz dwudziestolecia miedzywojennegoOkres pierwszej wojny swiatowej oraz dwudziestolecia miedzywojennego byl czasem niezwykle specyficznym, jesli chodzi o okreslanie i konstruowanie wszelkich ku lturowych tozsamosci w Europie. Jedna z takich grup byli Deutschjuden, tj. zasymilowani pod wplywem oswiecenia zydowskiego (Haskali) Zydzi niemieccy. Deutschjuden deklarowali sie jako „obywatele niemieccy wyznania mojzeszowego”, separujac sie tym ostentacyjnie od migrujacych do Niemiec Zydów z Europy wschodniej – Ostjuden. Na lamach swojej prasy niemieckojezycznej Zydzi wielokrotnie charakteryzowali, analizowali, szukali potwierdzenia przynaleznosci do niemieckiego kregu kulturowego, opisujac przy tym siebie, jak i Niemców.Celem artykulu jest rekonstrukcja kulturowego obrazu Deutschjuden oraz posrednio Niemców ze szczególnym uwzglednieniem dyskursu odnoszacego sie do jezyka, religii, kultury historycznej czy tradycji Deutschjuden.

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