The first comprehensive history of the German Jews on the eve of Hitler's seizure of power, this book examines both their internal debates and their relations with larger German society. It shows that, far from being united, German Jewry was deeply divided along religious, political, and ideological fault lines. Above all, the liberal majority of patriotic and assimilationist Jews was forced to sharpen its self-definition by the onslaught of Zionist zealots who denied the "Germanness" of the Jews. This struggle for the heart and soul of German Jewry was fought at every level, affecting families, synagogues, and community institutions. Although the Jewish role in Germany's economy and culture was exaggerated, they were certainly prominent in many fields, giving rise to charges of privilege and domination. This volume probes the texture of German anti-Semitism, distinguishing between traditional and radical Judeophobia and reaching conclusions that will give no comfort to those who assume that Germans were predisposed to become "willing executioners" under Hitler. It also assesses the quality of Jewish responses to racist attacks. The self-defense campaigns of the Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith included publishing counter-propaganda, supporting sympathetic political parties, and taking anti-Semitic demagogues to court. Although these measures could only slow the rise of Nazism after 1930, they demonstrate that German Jewry was anything but passive in its responses to the fascist challenge. The German Jews' faith in liberalism is sometimes attributed to self-delusion and wishful thinking. This volume argues that, in fact, German Jewry pursued a clear-sighted perception of Jewish self-interest, apprehended the dangers confronting it, and found allies in socialist and democratic elements that constituted the "other Germany." Sadly, this profound and genuine commitment to liberalism left the German Jews increasingly isolated as the majority of Germans turned to political radicalism in the last years of the Republic. This full-scale history of Weimar Jewry will be of interest to professors, students, and general readers interested in the Holocaust and Jewish History. Donald L. Niewyk studied at the Free University of Berlin and Tulane. He has taught at Xavier University and Ithaca College, and since 1982, he has been a professor of modern European history at Southern Methodist University. He is author of six books, including most recently Fresh Wounds: Early Narratives of Holocaust Survival.

The Weimar Republic, from 1919 to 1933, was a time of political violence, economic crisis, generational and gender tension, and cultural experiment and change. Despite these major issues, the Republic is often treated only as a preface to the study of the rise of fascism in Germany. This book seeks to correct the balance, exploring Weimar for what it was as well as where it led. Weimar Germany was the avant-garde artistic center of Europe in the 20s, and many cultural figures were politically engaged in an atmosphere charged with controversy. The Republic was wracked by conflict pitting traditional morality against ideas of greater sexual freedom for women, homosexual rights, abortion and birth control. In this atmosphere, German women for the first time played a significant political role, many beginning the 1920s as supporters of the Republic only to join its enemies within a decade. Weimar Germany also witnessed a struggle to win the hearts and minds of the youth, a struggle won decisively by the political right wing. In this same arena, Jews were attacked by racist anti-Semites who transformed them into the embodiment of the "other". In this electrically-charged and polarized environment, political, industrial, labor and religious leaders confronted each other and were unwilling to put aside their own short-term, narrow interests to save the Republic. This concise and readable textbook will provide the ideal introduction for students of 20th century European history and German studies. - Back cover.

Examines the complicated history of a Jewish cultural organization supported by Nazi Germany

Jewish Domination of Weimar Germany was the National Socialist government's first English-language attempt to explain the rationale behind their legislative moves to restrict Jewish influence in Germany after 1933. Using official pre-Nazi-era demographics, this work showed that Jews were massively over-represented in all fields of German social and economic life-except that of farming and creative work. It lists the ownership of mass media in Weimar Germany, the astonishing financial scandals, Communism and political subversion, degenerate theater, sexual psychology, Communist indoctrination in educational institutions and the media-all of which was predominantly Jewish in origin. This new edition contains the entire original text and illustrations, and benefits from a series of appendixes which reveal: - The measures taken by the Nazi state against Jews; - Details of the Havaara transfer Agreement whereby the Nazi government and the World Zionist movement worked together to help create the state of Israel; - The World Jewish declaration of war against Germany in 1933; and - A series of eye-opening parallels between Weimar Germany and the present-day United States of America, showing exactly the same trends of Jewish domination of educational institutions, the mass media, and financial scandals-proof that history does repeat itself.