German-Jewish Popular Culture before the Holocaust

Kafka's kitsch

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Jewish, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Judaism, History, Germany
Cover of the book German-Jewish Popular Culture before the Holocaust by David A. Brenner, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David A. Brenner ISBN: 9781134041541
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 8, 2008
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: David A. Brenner
ISBN: 9781134041541
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 8, 2008
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

David A. Brenner examines how Jews in Central Europe developed one of the first "ethnic" or "minority" cultures in modernity. Not exclusively "German" or "Jewish," the experiences of German-speaking Jewry in the decades prior to the Third Reich and the Holocaust were also negotiated in encounters with popular culture, particularly the novel, the drama and mass media.

Despite recent scholarship, the misconception persists that Jewish Germans were bent on assimilation. Although subject to compulsion, they did not become solely "German," much less "European." Yet their behavior and values were by no means exclusively "Jewish," as the Nazis or other anti-Semites would have it. Rather, the German Jews achieved a peculiar synthesis between 1890 and 1933, developing a culture that was not only "middle-class" but also "ethnic." In particular, they reinvented Judaic traditions by way of a hybridized culture.

Based on research in German, Israeli and American archives, German-Jewish Popular Culture before the Holocaust addresses many of the genres in which a specifically German-Jewish identity was performed, from the Yiddish theatre and Zionist humour all the way to sensationalist memoirs and Kafka’s own kitsch. This middle-class ethnic identity encompassed and went beyond religious confession and identity politics. In focusing principally on German-Jewish popular culture, this groundbreaking book introduces the beginnings of "ethnicity" as we know it and live it today.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

David A. Brenner examines how Jews in Central Europe developed one of the first "ethnic" or "minority" cultures in modernity. Not exclusively "German" or "Jewish," the experiences of German-speaking Jewry in the decades prior to the Third Reich and the Holocaust were also negotiated in encounters with popular culture, particularly the novel, the drama and mass media.

Despite recent scholarship, the misconception persists that Jewish Germans were bent on assimilation. Although subject to compulsion, they did not become solely "German," much less "European." Yet their behavior and values were by no means exclusively "Jewish," as the Nazis or other anti-Semites would have it. Rather, the German Jews achieved a peculiar synthesis between 1890 and 1933, developing a culture that was not only "middle-class" but also "ethnic." In particular, they reinvented Judaic traditions by way of a hybridized culture.

Based on research in German, Israeli and American archives, German-Jewish Popular Culture before the Holocaust addresses many of the genres in which a specifically German-Jewish identity was performed, from the Yiddish theatre and Zionist humour all the way to sensationalist memoirs and Kafka’s own kitsch. This middle-class ethnic identity encompassed and went beyond religious confession and identity politics. In focusing principally on German-Jewish popular culture, this groundbreaking book introduces the beginnings of "ethnicity" as we know it and live it today.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Enhancing the Wellbeing and Wisdom of Older Learners by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Contemporary Apprenticeship by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Sartre's Life, Times and Vision du Monde by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Revealing the History of Ancient Palestine by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Culture, Politics and Sport by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Moscow Performances by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Crisis Banking in the East by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Leadership and Organization (RLE: Organizations) by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Understanding Religious Ritual by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Employee Engagement with Sustainable Business by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Sex Crime by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book The Play Cycle by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Literature, Media, Information Systems by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Winning the Knowledge Game by David A. Brenner
Cover of the book Contemporary Spanish Politics by David A. Brenner
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy