 | The Jews of Vienna in the Age of Franz Joseph Subjects: Jews -- Austria -- Vienna -- History; Jews -- Austria -- Vienna -- Intellectual life; Vienna (Austria) -- Intellectual life; Zionism Austria -- Vienna -- History; Vienna (Austria) -- Ethnic relations; This book depicts and evaluates the "golden age" of Viennese Jewry which coincided with the long reign of the Emperor Franz Joseph between 1848 and 1916. Based on research into the demographic socio-economic, cultural and political factors that favoured the ascent of Viennese Jewry and also the anti-Semitic movements which accompanied its rise, the author reconstructs the place of the Jews in the Empire and provides new insights into the ideological conflicts that have marked the 20th century. The author describes the liberal-Jewish symbiosis, the impact of the nationality struggles in the Empire and its repercussions on Jewish group identity. He examines the genesis of Zionism, Autonomism, Austro-Marxism, and psychoanalysis as "Jewish" strategies and responses to the dilemmas of modernization. The book explains the religious and political structure and orientation of the official Jewish community and analyzes the problems of identity that affected the Jewish intelligentsia and helped make Vienna the scene of one of the most seminal intellectual revolutions in history. Robert Wistrich is professor of modern Jewish history at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, visiting fellow at the Royal Institute of Advanced Studies in the Netherlands, and visiting professor of history at Brandeis and Harvard Universities. A regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement, he is widely recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on the history of anti-Semitism, and is the author of many books. (Publisher Provided) |
