Yale Companion to Jewish Writing and Thought in German Culture, 1096-1996 [Hardcover]

Sander L. Gilman (Editor), Jack Zipes (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 1997

This work provides a history of Jewish writing and thought in the German-speaking world. Written by 118 scholars in the field, the book is arranged chronologically, moving from the 11th century to the present. Throughout, it depicts the contribution that Jewish writers have made to German culture and at the same time explores what it means to the "other" within that mainstream culture. The contributors view German-Jewish literature as a historical and cultural phenomenon from a wide array of critical perspectives. Many essays focus on significant social and political events that affected the relationship between Germans and Jews: others concentrates on a particular genre, author, group of writers, cultural debate, or literary movement. Entries include an account of the Crusades in 1076, a treatment of Jewish mysticism in the Renaissance, a 17th-century memoir by a woman, the description of a meeting between Heinrich Heine and Karl Marx in 1843 and discussions of works by such luminaries as Sigmund Freud, Arthur Schnitzler, Joseph Roth, Martin Buber, Walter Benjamin, Elias Canetti, Hermann Broch, Hannah Arendt, Theodor Adorno and Peter Weiss.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Editors Gilman (German and Jewish studies, Univ. of Chicago) and Zipes (German and Jewish studies, Univ. of Minnesota) present short essays that give chronological snapshots of the Jewish German relationship from 1096 to 1996. They discuss Jewishness and Germanness without defining the limits of the terms, allowing for the widest possible scope to the selections (e.g., Yiddish and Hebrew literature as well as Kafka). They include culture, history, literature, religion, and an anthropology of the relationship. Mendelssohn, Heine, Herzl, Buber, Arendt, and Benjamin are some of the figures that appear as important guideposts. The editors highlight children's literature and writing by women, and contemporary literature is also included as an important element in the ongoing relationship. This invaluable companion can be used as a reference tool or read as an extended scholarly work. Bibliographies are supplied for each essay. Essential for large public and academic libraries.?Gene Shaw, NYPL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 898 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1st Printing edition (August 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300068247
• ISBN-13: 978-0300068245
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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For those who want to understand the process that led eventually to the Holocaust.