Jews and the German State: The Political History of a Minority, 1848-1933

Abstract

Unlike many historians who see the period between 1848 and 1933 primarily as one of growing anti-Semitism which culminated in the Nazi Party's rise to power and the enactment of its programme of genocide, Peter Pulzer emphasizes the evolution of the ethnic identity, social roles and political activities of German Jews. He documents the emergence of the Jews of Germany from obscurity and marginality into the mainstream of public life over the century prior to the Nazi takeover and demonstrates the importance of Jews in the public life of Germany. In this book, the author argues that Germany history cannot be understood without grasping the role played by the Jewish population of Germany and proposes that the German-Jewish relationship helps to illuminate the complex roles played by minorities in modern societies. It should be of interest to students and scholars of Jewish history in general and German Jewish history in particular.