Markus Brann

Grave of Markus Brann in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Wroclaw

Markus Brann ( Marcus Brann, Markus Mordechai / Mordechaj Brann ; born on July 9, 1849 in Rawitsch , Posen ; died on September 26, 1920 in Breslau ) was a Jewish historian , bibliographer and rabbi . As a historian, he mainly worked on the history of the Jews in Silesia . He was a lecturer at the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau .

life and work

Brann was born the son of the rabbi and Talmudist Salomon Brann (1814–1903) and Dorothea Brann, née Silberberg. He studied Jewish theology and history at the University of Breslau, where in 1873 he received his doctorate. phil. received a doctorate; at the same time he was enrolled in the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau. There included Heinrich Graetz and Zacharias Frankel his teachers.

In 1875 Brann obtained the rabbi diploma . He then became deputy rabbi at the New Synagogue in Wroclaw under Manuel Joël . In 1883 he took over the Auerbach orphanage in Berlin as director. In 1885 he was appointed to a rabbinical position in Pless , where he held office until 1891.

In 1891 he succeeded Heinrich Graetz at the Jewish-theological seminar in Breslau and retained this position until his death. His chair included Bible exegesis, Jewish history, and education. At the same time he managed the library of the seminary. In 1914 he was awarded the title of professor.

Brann's achievement, which went beyond Graetz, is due to the fact that he sought to make the material slumbering in public and Jewish archives accessible to scientific research for the first time (even if the large-scale attempt to set up a comprehensive archive of German Jews was later doomed to failure). In 1878 Brann was one of the founders of the Association of Israelite Teachers in Silesia and Posen. He also supported the establishment of a Jewish adult education center in Wroclaw; In addition to his teaching activity, whose duties he fulfilled with devotion, he developed an intensive scientific activity. He belonged to the group of employees of the most important journals for the history of the Jews in Germany.

Together with David Kaufmann (since 1892, after his death in 1899 as sole editor) he published a new series of the monthly for the history and science of Judaism (MGWJ) founded by Zacharias Frankel in 1851 and discontinued by Graetz in 1887 .

Brann took part in the new edition of the history of the Jews by Heinrich Graetz, organized by a group of schoolchildren, by editing volumes 2, 3, 10 and 11. He made stronger interventions in the final, eleventh volume of the monumental, which is dedicated to modern times Work by - covered by corresponding statements by Graetz for a revision - largely deleted or weakened the author's sharp criticism of anti-Semitic tendencies in 19th-century Germany in the first edition.

Brann's name became widely known through an overview of the history of the Jews and their literature ( History of the Jews and their literature edited for school and home. 1st part: From the Babylonian captivity to the conclusion of the Talmud , Breslau 1893 / 2nd part: Vom Completion of the Talmud up to the present , Breslau 1895). The work was reprinted several times before 1914 and reached a large readership. On the basis of this book, Brann later published further abstracts of Jewish history and literary history, which were also widely distributed and appeared in several editions ( A short walk through Jewish history. Published by the Association for Jewish History and Literature in Breslau , Leipzig 1907 ; A short walk through Jewish literature. Second revised edition , Vienna / Berlin 1918; several new editions).

Other works (selection)

• De Herodis, qui dicitur, magni filiis patrem in imperio secutis. Pars great. Dissertatio inauguralis historica quam consensu et auctoritate amplissimi philosophorum ordinis in alma literarum universitate Viadrina ad summos in philosophia honores rite capessendos d. XX. M. Martil A. MDCCCLXXIII hora Xl. publice defendet auctor Marcus Brann Posnaniensis , Krotoschini o. J. [1873]
• The Hundsfelder Druckerei , Breslau undated [1878]
• History of the Society of Brothers. Festschrift for the Säcular celebration on March 21, 1880. Edited on behalf of the board by Markus Brann , Breslau o. J. [1881]
• History of the land rabbinate in Silesia. Based on printed and unprinted sources , Breslau 1887
• History of the rabbinate in Schneidemühl. Edited from printed and unprinted sources. The proceeds are intended for the Rabbi Salomon Brann'sche Stiftung 'in Schneidemühl , Breslau 1894
• A short walk through Jewish history. Published by the Association for Jewish History and Literature in Breslau , Breslau 1895
• History of the Jews in Silesia , Breslau 1896 (it remained unfinished)
• History of the Jewish theological seminar (Fraenckel'sche Foundation) in Breslau. Festschrift for the 50th anniversary of the institution , Breslau no year [1905]
• A short walk through Jewish history. Published by the Association for Jewish History and Literature in Breslau , Leipzig 1907
• History of the Jews and their literature. Processed for school and home. Third, increased and improved edition , Breslau 1910/1911
• A short walk through Jewish history. Published by the Association for Jewish History and Literature in Breslau ( Lamm's Jewish Field Library . No. 8), Berlin 1916
• How Zacharias Frankel came to Teplitz , Berlin / Vienna 1917 [Separate print from: Free Jewish Teachers' Voice. Vl. Vintage. No. 1–8]
• A short walk through Jewish literature. Second improved edition , Vienna / Berlin 1918
• A short walk through Jewish history. Published by the Association for Jewish History and Literature in Breslau (Jüdische Handbücherei 1). Third edition, Vienna 1921

Articles (selection)

• Abraham Muhr. A picture of life and a contribution to the history of the Jews in Silesia. In: Jewish people and house calendar for the year 1891
• About the life of the privileged general and head of the Breslau Jews, Simon Hirsch. In: Monthly for the History and Science of Judaism 37 (1893), 580ff.
• Dr. Leopold Zunz and his ancestors in Frankfurt. In: Monthly for the history and science of Judaism 38 (1894), 493-500
• From Salomon Munk's posthumous letters. In: Yearbook for Jewish History and Literature 2 (1899), 148-203
• On the genealogy of the Maimonids. In: Monthly for the history and science of Judaism 44 (1900), 138ff.
• The Frankel family. In: Monthly for the History and Science of Judaism 45 (1901), 193-213
• Directory of the writings and treatises of Zacharias Frankel's. In: Monthly for the history and science of Judaism 45 (1901), 336-352
• Zacharias Frankel's autobiographical notes. Edited by Markus Brann. In: Monthly for the History and Science of Judaism 45 (1901), 558-562
• Who was R. Mose Mariel? In: Monthly for the History and Science of Judaism 47 (1903), 569-572
• David Honigmann's notes from his academic years 1841–1845. In: Yearbook for Jewish History and Literature 7 (1904), 133-188
• Identity of the Theomim and Munk families. In: Monthly for the History and Science of Judaism 55 (1911), 349-357
• The descent of Ferdinand Lassalle. In: Archives for Jewish Family Research, Art History and Museums 2 (1913). No. 1-3, 27ff.
• Follow-up comment to L. Löwenstein: R. Juda Mehler II. In: Monthly for the history and science of Judenthums 61 (1917), 291-292
• The parentage and name of Ferdinand Lassalles. In: Monthly for the history and science of Judaism 62 (1918), 270-274
• The fall of Jerusalem. In: Emanuel bin Gorion: The sevenfold light. Figures and material of Judaism in German poetry. A reading book , Berlin 1938, 298ff.

Editor (among others)

• Jewish folk and house calendar. With a yearbook for instruction and entertainment. 42nd to 48th year , published by Marcus Brann, Breslau 1895–1901
• Heinrich Graetz: History of the Jews from the oldest times to the present. Revised from the sources. Volume 10: History of the Jews from the permanent settlement of the Marranos in Holland (1618) to the beginning of the Mendelssohn period (1750). Third, increased and improved edition. Edited by Markus Brann , Leipzig 1897
• Heinrich Graetz: History of the Jews from the oldest times to the present. Revised from the sources. Volume 11: History of the Jews from the beginning of Mendelssohn's time (1750) to the most recent times. Second increased and improved edition. Edited by Markus Brann , Leipzig 1900
• Memorial book in memory of David Kaufmann. Published by Markus Brann and Ferdinand Rosenthal , Breslau 1900 Reprint: New York 1980
• Zacharias Frankel. Commemorative sheets for his hundredth birthday. Edited by Markus Brann (with contributions from Frankel's students and a list of his writings), Breslau 1901 [separate print from: Monthly Journal for the History and Science of Judaism 45 (1901), 193-352]
• Heinrich Graetz: History of the Jews from the oldest times to the present. Volume Two: From the Death of King Solomon to the Death of Judah Makkabi. First half. Second increased and improved edition edited by M. Brann , Leipzig 1902
• Heinrich Graetz: History of the Jews from the oldest times to the present. Volume Two: From the Death of King Solomon to the Death of Judah Makkabi. Second half. Third edition edited by M. Brann , Leipzig 1902
• Heinrich Graetz: History of the Jews from the oldest times to the present. Third volume: History of the Judeans from the death of Judah Makkabis to the fall of the Judean state. Fifth improved and increased edition, first half. Edited by M. Brann , Leipzig 1905
• Heinrich Graetz: History of the Jews from the oldest times to the present. Third volume: History of the Judeans from the death of Judah Makkabis to the fall of the Judean state. Fifth improved and increased edition, second half. Edited by M. Brann. With a table of Judean coins from the time of the uprising , Leipzig 1906
• David Kaufmann: Collected Writings. Edited by Markus Brann [three volumes], Frankfurt am Main 1908/1910/1915 [reprint: New York 1980]
• Moses ben Maimon. His life, his works and his influence. In memory of the seven hundredth anniversary of Maimonides' death, published by the Society for the Advancement of the Sciences in Judaism . Volume 1, Leipzig 1908 / Volume 2: Leipzig 1914 [Reprint: New York 1980]
• Commemorative publication for Israel Lewy's seventieth birthday. Edited by Ismar Elbogen and Markus Brann , Breslau 1911 [Reprint: New York 1980]
• Germania Judaica. Edited by Markus Brann and Aron Freimann , Frankfurt am Main 1917–1920 [after Brann's death edited by Ismar Elbogen, Aron Freimann and H. Tykocinski]
• Heinrich Graetz. Treatises on his 100th birthday (October 31, 1917) , Vienna / Berlin 1917

literature

• Jeannette Strauss Almstad, Matthias Wolfes :  Markus Brann. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 19, Bautz, Nordhausen 2001, ISBN 3-88309-089-1 , Sp. 90-95.
• Brann, Markus. In: Lexicon of German-Jewish Authors . Volume 3: Birk – Braun. Edited by the Bibliographia Judaica archive. Saur, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-598-22683-7 , pp. 403-409.
• Entry BRANN, Markus Mordechai, Prof. Dr. In: Michael Brocke and Julius Carlebach (editors), edited by Katrin Nele Jansen with the assistance of Jörg H. Fehrs and Valentina Wiedner: Biographisches Handbuch der Rabbis. Part 2: The rabbis in the German Empire, 1871–1945. K G Saur, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-5982487-4-0 , p. 95 ff.
• Barbara Kalinowska-Wójcik: Jewish historical research in Silesia in the 19th and early 20th centuries: Jacob Caro (1835–1904), Markus Brann (1849–1920) and Ezechiel Zivier (1868–1925) . In: Joachim Bahlcke / Roland Gehrke (eds.): Scholars - Schools - Networks. Historical researchers in Silesia in the long 19th century, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar: Böhlau 2019 (New research on Silesian history; 28), ISBN 978-3-412-51666-6 , pp. 331–366.

Web links

• Works by and about Markus Brann in the JCS University Library Frankfurt am Main: Digital Collections Judaica

• Literature by and about Markus Brann in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

1. ^ Ismar Elbogen: Marcus Brann. In: Monthly for the history and science of Judaism. 64 (1920), pp. 241-249. See http://www.compactmemory.de/