The Problematics of Philosemitic Fiction

Abstract

The role of fiction in propagating and updating antisemitic stereotypes in modern Germany is widely acknowledged. Few would deny that popular image of was fixed in popular imagination more by novels of Gustav Freytag and Wilhelm Raabe than by antisemitic polemics such as Wilhelm Marr's Der Sieg des Judenthums fiber das Germanenthum or by Hitler's Mein Kampf Even racist, volkisch and paranoid trilogy of novels by Arthur Dinter probably exerted more influence than political tracts. Dinter and Freytag are taken here as two poles which tacitly define range of fictional Jewishness. Dinter portrayed the Jew as irredeemably vile.1 Freytag poses greater difficulties. Beginning in 1880s, Freytag spoke out against antisemitism, raised his stepson (from his third wife) as a Jew, and regarded himself a stalwart liberal. Nevertheless, George Mosse and Hans Mayer have convincingly argued that Freytag's Soll and Haben perpetuated negative stereotypes about Jews and upheld good Jew versus bad Jew dichotomy so characteristic of German literary representations of Jewishness.2 While historians have analyzed Verein zur Abwehr des Antisemitismus, scholars in Germanistik appear to have neglected literary counterparts to this anti-antisemitic organization.3 My contention in this essay is that several non-Jewish authors created positive characters and narratives. While these works exerted less influence than Freytag or Dinter, it would nevertheless be imprudent to dismiss them as aberrations. The authors discussed here may not have been famous, but neither were they unknown scriveners without readers. These works take Jewish Question as their principal subject. Additional works could expand discussion considerably; this essay does not present a thorough analysis of pro-Jewish themes in German literature. Rather, it is an invitation to scholars in German studies to undertake a more systematic investigation of pro-Jewish themes -an able doctoral candidate would find plenty to write about. My use of term philosemitic is qualified in several ways. First, I do not claim that these authors were free from all anti-Jewish prejudices; it seems difficult to imagine a 19t-century German Christian who would fit that description. When determining presence or absence of literary antisemitism, those who argue that text rather than author should be decisive factor make better case.4 Second, texts display ambivalence, both confuting and perpetuating stereotypes. The minimizing of distinctively realia and trivializing of antisemitic impulses tended to denude these works of fictional power. I pass no judgment here on effectiveness of philosemitic elements, only on their existence. Third, I am aware that very acceptance of a Semitic essence may be considered inherently antisemitic. Recent scholarship indicates that various authors assumed a Semitism notwithstanding widely divergent views as to what Semitism entailed overemphasis on topic being constant in this discourse. Zygmunt Bauman has fruitfully employed neologism allosemitism to characterize this phenome non.5 I agree that Jewishness was a heavily weighted construct. But when positive elements dominate, I would contend that work has a philosemitic valence, in other words, that it is justifiably called philosemitic. Finally, I accept that term philosemitism is both place- and time-specific. Religious conversion, balancing of political tradition and reform, and endless debate between Hebraism and Hellenism loomed large in British representations of Jew, but played only a minor role in German fiction. While political emancipation, economic embourgeoisement and intellectual Bildung were critical themes for contemporaries of Lessing, they no longer appear as critical themes for pro-Jewish German authors by end of 19th century. What themes drew attentions of philosemitically inclined authors in Imperial and Weimar Germany? …