Berlin without Jews

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Artur Landsberger : "Berlin without Jews", dust jacket of the first edition (1925)

Berlin without Jews is a dystopian contemporary novel by Artur Landsberger , published in 1925 , which describes the expulsion of German Jews and a German society free of Jews. The plot unfolds in Berlin in the 1920s. At the center of the events are the German-Jewish family Oppenheim and the Protestant family Rudenberg. What both middle-class families have in common is piety, a sense of responsibility, a strong sense of tradition and continuity as well as the conviction that the way of life must obey a moral, not a religious requirement. Landsberger's central hypothesis is not that the German Jews, if they were expelled, would inevitably have to return due to a general crisis, but that Germany would be considerably poorer economically, mentally and culturally without the Jewish contribution.

Initially, the work only saw a single edition. As a Jewish author, Landsberger was no longer published after 1933. It was not until the late 1990s that his social novels were rediscovered.

genre

The “optimistic grotesque” (Geret Luhr) gives a “surprisingly coherent utopia of the persecution of the Jews” (Herbert Wiesner). Werner Fuld speaks of a "grotesque horror". As brightly as the vision of a Jewish-pure Berlin is illuminated, Landsberger's satire on rhetoric and ideologies of the Weimar period is just as apt . The exchanges at the nationalist regulars' table are funny and cleverly put together. Incidentally, the contemporary cinema is parodied with its compulsion to "You can get yourself" - happy ending .

Addressees

Landsberger's house publisher, Georg Müller Verlag Munich, rejected the manuscript because it would alienate its - Landsberger's - readers.

Landsberger himself leaves the readers to interpret the novel as a "tragic satire". He himself only sees it as an “escapade”, a “break-in into the ethnic land of unlimited possibilities”. Berlin without Jews is adapted to the spiritual low of the Völkisch in order to be understood. In fact, he seems to have at least had the German patriotic milieu in mind. Because his foreword ends with the note that the "tragic fate of his fatherland (...) made him a lonely and unhappy person".

Other addressees were undoubtedly the German Jews. Landsberger demands from them not to evade the unpopular branding as Jews, but to demand equivalence with their heads held high, that is to say also to pursue resolute journalistic resistance. After all, the novel is richly garnished with biblical sayings: Christian readers were allowed to feel addressed. While the voters of the Center Party were still decried as enemies of the empire and their politicians sought the outlet for anti-Semitic polemics, the center appeared noticeably more responsible in the 1920s.

background

Hugo Bettauer's "The City Without Jews"

In 1922 the Austrian author Hugo Bettauer published the novel "The City Without Jews". The work was in 1924 filmed . The author was gunned down on March 10, 1925 and died a little later. Landsberger took over the motive of the expulsion of the Jews and the subsequent economic and social decline from him. His novel becomes more complex, of course, through the introduction of the dazzling figure Pinski as a double deceiver. The political criticism of the Viennese Christian-Social is extended to both extreme wings of the party spectrum. That Landsberger also speculated on a film adaptation cannot be ruled out, after all, he himself was active in this branch.

Political events involved

  • Anti-Jewish appeal by the so-called "Hermann sons" in 1925 under the leadership of Heinrich Blume .

characters

Boris Pinski is a Russian Bolshevik who was sent to Germany from Moscow to prepare for the revolution. He is a cold, analytical dialectician who goes unorthodox ways to drive the revolution forward and to secure power for himself.

Benno Oppenheim , secret councilor, assimilated Jew and successful businessman. Member of the Reichstag. Significantly organizes mass emigration.

Hans Oppenheim , his son, assessor in the Foreign Office, quite the father. Marries his sister-in-law, Elisabeth Rudenberg . Negotiates the admission of Jewish refugees in New York, directs the return of Jews to Germany from London.

Robert Rudenberg , professor of economics , married to Hans Oppenheim's sister Erna .

Eduard Rudenberg , his brother, frivolous character, sees politics as a game, sees his chance in the national movement. Takes over the BZ and completely converts it to tabloid gossip. In the face of the consequences of the expulsion of the Jews, turn your back on the movement and demand that the Jews be called back.

v. Princes , leaders of the national association and chief of the propaganda department. Just a tool of Pinski, which acts in secret and acts as a secretary v. Prince appears.

Wolf Kleber , son of a large industrialist, resident in Paris and Shanghai , bon vivant, amateur boxer, polo player . Experience the repulsive new Berlin as an outsider.

Willi Walke , Kleber's friend, saves the lives of three illegally entered Jews (including Erna Rudenberg) on ​​the train journey from Paris to Berlin by pretending to be a superior to the inspectors.

Jim Cahn , Jewish stock market speculator, homeless journeyman, "Rischeßmacher". Is later expelled from the Jewish community and does not return to Germany.

Elsa Straßer gets involved with Pinski in order to lure Eduard Rudenberg out of his reserve. Unknowingly, she gives background information about the Oppenheims to Pinski, who also impregnates her. She has to be detained for an abortion.

content

The takeover

Pinski assumes a false identity as a Jewish Dr. David Pinski to gain access to Jewish philanthropic circles and to collect money for his work (ostensibly for the needy Jews after the October Revolution). He also serves the folkish as a spin doctor and chief ideologist. Here, too, he pretends to be a Jew, but avows himself to be a Bolshevik agent: "What is the difference between a Soviet star and a swastika?" (P. 23)

After the defeat in the most recent election, he advises the Völkisch to change their strategy: As anti-Semites , they should recognize the Jewish character of international capitalism , that is, they should take up anti-capitalism . In this way they would win over the workers, split the Communist Party and poach them among social democratic voters (p. 27). Pinski openly admits that he does not want to torpedo his own cause. On the contrary, the victory of National Socialism would only prepare the ground for the Bolshevik revolution. If the hatred of Jews could not be stopped, it would at least ensure a mild expulsion of the Jews (p. 28), with which Landsberger underscores the anti-Semitic content of anti-capitalist Marxism .

Because of its national orientation, the new party can count on support from the Reichswehr . In the anti-Semitic publication “Das Judenopfer” (Chapter 5), Pinski, who remains anonymous, calls on Germany's Jews to demonstrate their love for the country by making their wealth available for the Versailles reparations payments.

Benno Oppenheim rejects the request in clear terms as “unjustified, mendacious and devious” (Chapter 6). The Jewish communities also reject the required special sacrifice. The masses are disappointed and see all prejudices confirmed. The National Association of the Exploited Classes is founded, large parts of the Communist Party and swastika activists defected to it, and it achieved an absolute majority in the Reichstag . The defense against anti-Semitism was too indecisive, too intellectual, and failed the masses. No boxing match can be won with Kant's “Pure Reason” , comments Landsberger's narrator (p. 69). In addition, the citizens of the Jewish faith and the Zionists disagree.

There were riots on election night: 200 apartments were looted and 160 Jews were killed on Kurfürstendamm and the surrounding area. The Reichswehr sympathizes with the Reichsverband , supports the change and calls for calm and order.

The Reichstag resolves to expel all Jews from the country. Implementing regulations specify who as a Jew and Judenstämmling have to apply. Half-Jews are also Germans, they are allowed to stay, but lose the right to vote and all public offices.

Benno Oppenheim gives the counter-speech for the opposition (pp. 95-104), "in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount ", as Landsberger had characterized the murdered Walther Rathenau in the preface .

The propaganda department of the national association wants to entertain the population with music, marches, colorful uniforms, movies, and revues until the Jews are expelled, but it can hardly find capable people because “everything is Jews” (Chapter 10). Pinski therefore takes over the newly founded film company himself, a "first-rate power factor". As a scapegoat after the expulsion, the next victim is already targeted: the center and the ultramontanes .

97 prominent Jews over 65 years of age - including Benno Oppenheim - refuse to leave the country in a letter of protest. You take your own life. “The death of ninety-seven became a fixed term, a cultural-historical act, grew up to become a symbol of world conscience” (p. 147).

Berlin without Jews

After a brief hesitation, foreign countries imposed a trade boycott on Germany. Christian corporations are also threatened with bankruptcy. There is a shortage of raw materials. Strikes break out. Food is rationed. Tourism collapses. The Bolsheviks grew stronger, they fought street battles with the supporters of the national association .

Louis Adlon and Mrs. Hedda greet each of the rare guests personally, Marek Weber plays with his jazz band at the reception. Ullstein emigrated to Vienna, Mosse to Holland, even the Scherl-Verlag refused to follow the anti-Semitic line and switched to Copenhagen. Revue and operetta troupes migrate abroad.

1,157 children starve to death in Berlin within a week.

In the Reichstag there is a break between v. Prince and Pinski. This reveals his true identity and purpose. In the meantime he had been granted German citizenship. V. The prince committed suicide when he had gained full clarity about Pinski's deception.

The (nameless) Chancellor had to admit the catastrophic situation before parliament, and that the Jews were to blame (pp. 175–184). The opposition calls for a turnaround. The national association falls apart, half of its MPs go over to the CP. The government loses the vote of confidence. An emergency government made up of the DVP , Democrats , Center and Social Democrats is initially supported by the Communists.

Kleber and Walke go on an evening tour to Kurfürstendamm, which now bears the name Judendamm and has been transformed into a “Jewish Yoshiwara ”: “rough, primitive, amateurish”. The Nelson theater is now called “Palais des Juifs”, people dress like Jewish caricatures, wear masks, alcohol in the air, fights.

The return

Well established in exile, the German Jews cast 34,000 Rischesmacher out of their midst. The other 552,000 become members of the Association of German Jews and wear an association badge: "One was German, one felt German." (P. 205)

The German Nationals conduct error analysis and discover: “The main culprit is not a German” (p. 206). You let Eduard Rudenberg lead you back to the democratic camp. The German party , made up of DNVP , DVP, Zentrum, DDP and right-wing Social Democrats, wins the new elections . The Jewish laws are repealed with a four-fifths majority. 450,000 Jews return over the course of a year.

The returning Hans Oppenheim and family are received by thousands of Berliners at Lehrter Bahnhof . Pinski wants to take revenge on Oppenheim for the failure of his overthrow plans, but Elsa Straßer, again at large, thwarted his murder attempt. Pinski remains dead on the asphalt while Elsa is taken as wife by the refined Eduard Rudenberg.

Attribution of real people (selection)

Limits of Prediction

A boycott against Nazi Germany from abroad did not materialize. The phenomenon of the Führer cult is not yet imposing on Landsberger. And of course:

“Suppose these six hundred thousand [Jews] refuse and stay.
Do you think the government is going crazy and putting six hundred thousand people against the wall? "
"That must not be and will not be." (P. 124)

expenditure

  • Berlin without Jews , Paul Steegemann publishing house, Hanover 1925
  • Berlin without Jews , Verlag R. Löwit, Vienna / Leipzig 1925
  • Berlin without Jews , edited and with an afterword by Werner Fuld, Weidle Verlag , Bonn 1998, ISBN 3-931135-34-9 .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Artur Landsberger: Berlin without Jews , p. 31
  2. ↑ Werner Fuld : Afterword . In: Artur Landsberger, Berlin without Jews , Bonn 1998, p. 212
  3. ↑ Artur Landsberger in the foreword “Pro domo”, quoted from the 1998 edition, p. 5
  4. ↑ Artur Landsberger, “Pro domo”, p. 7
  5. ↑ The BZ was Landsberger's employer and was run by his brother-in-law Louis Ullstein .
  6. ↑ Ríschess (Yiddish.): Evil, anti-Semitism. Salcia Landmann: '' Yiddish. Adventure of a Language '', Munich 1964.
  7. ↑ Landsberger had included contributions by the Yiddish narrator in his anthology Das Ghettobuch (1914).
  8. ^ As in 1932 Adolf Hitler.
  9. ^ House Kurfürstendamm / corner of Joachimstaler Straße with its characteristic Telefunken neon sign opposite the Kranzler-Eck