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A History of Habsburg Jews, 1670-1918
"William McCagg has done a great service for scholarship—and for Habsburg scholarship in particular—through his book. Scholars are in his debt." —History of European Ideas
" . . . strongly recommended to those interested in either Jewish or Habsburg history." —American Historical Review
" . . . McCagg tells a fascinating story with expert knowledge, with the sure eye and sound judgment of the experienced historian . . . " —Midstream
" . . . exceptionally fine research and the time frame of the study which make it quite remarkable and original." —German Politics & Society
"William McCagg brings out the extent to which Jews were divided not only as Jews, but also as citizens of Austro-Hungary . . . McCagg writes perceptively of Kafka's predicament as a German-speaking Jew in Prague, living through the Czech nationalist revival . . . " —New York Review of Books
Drawing on a wide variety of European sources, McCagg has produced the first history of this important but often forgotten community to be written since the nineteenth century.
" . . . strongly recommended to those interested in either Jewish or Habsburg history." —American Historical Review
" . . . McCagg tells a fascinating story with expert knowledge, with the sure eye and sound judgment of the experienced historian . . . " —Midstream
" . . . exceptionally fine research and the time frame of the study which make it quite remarkable and original." —German Politics & Society
"William McCagg brings out the extent to which Jews were divided not only as Jews, but also as citizens of Austro-Hungary . . . McCagg writes perceptively of Kafka's predicament as a German-speaking Jew in Prague, living through the Czech nationalist revival . . . " —New York Review of Books
Drawing on a wide variety of European sources, McCagg has produced the first history of this important but often forgotten community to be written since the nineteenth century.
- GenresHistory
290 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 1989
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October 15, 2022
In search of lost times
The Habsburg Empire, later known as Austria-Hungary, contained large communities of Jews by the 18th century. Though earlier than that, proscriptions made it difficult for Jews to live in cities like Vienna and Prague, later loosening of such bans and the addition of southern Poland and western Ukraine after the 1772 division of that unlucky land, meant that the number of Jews grew to over two million, far above their number in any western European country. This study looks at the various communities spread round the Czech lands, Austria, Hungary, Trieste, Galicia and Bukovina (geographical divisions that no longer exist but are subsumed under Poland, Ukraine, and Romania) over the period 1670 to 1918, when the Empire, having struck back and started WW I, disappeared from the map.
In addition to being a general history of the Jews of that time and place, the author addresses the question of why the Jews engaged in “self-denial”—in other words, why did they not try to establish themselves as a separate ethnic or “national” minority on the same basis as Italians, Slovaks, Czechs, Slovenians, Croatians, Poles, Ruthenians, and several other minorities in the Empire? What kind of Jewish group survival was feasible in modern times and what kind was desirable? And then, what did that “self-denial” do to the modern Jews? (p.5) Examining a number of particular characters throughout the chosen period, he often contrasts the modernizing Jews of such places as Prague, Vienna and Budapest to the vast number of traditional Orthodox Jews or Hasidim who remained stuck in near-medieval conditions untouched by the modern world until very late. Through much of the book, I felt that because he was interested in change and the challenge to transform a very rigid traditional society, he concentrated too much on the urban Jews who often converted to Christianity, who mingled with the sophisticates of their home cities, and had little or nothing to do with the mass of Jews out in the small towns and villages. As economic conditions modernized in Austria-Hungary, more and more Jews arrived in the cities, escaping rural poverty. They left more of a historical record and so weigh more in this detailed account.
As the period covered was very eventful in Europe, he must take into consideration not only the gradual social and economic changes that swept the continent, but also such major events as the Napoleonic Wars and the many revolutions of 1848. As the restrictions on Jewish life loosened, more and more Jews left orthodoxy behind and took advantage of new possibilities, the prosperous ones joining the bourgeoisie, some few even becoming members of the nobility. Jewish manufacturers grew rich, attracting undue attention as “exploiters of labor”. It’s true, they did exploit labor, but so did the more numerous Christian factory owners. Anti-Semitism waxed and waned over the period and differed in intensity according to time and place. Pointing the finger at the Jews took the pressure off the others. By the 1800s, synagogues had been built in the major cities and Jews were allowed to enter any kind of business, special taxes on them were abolished.
In some sections of the book, McCagg looks at the various communities around the Empire and how they fared in the modernizing process—in Bohemia, in Vienna, in Hungary, in Galicia, or in Trieste. The more traditional Jews resisted the introduction of modern education while others welcomed it. By the late 19th century, the urban Jews of such cities as Vienna, Prague and Budapest formed part of the cultural elite and had produced major figures in many fields—Freud, Kafka, Mahler, Wittgenstein, Zweig. But as the author points out, the various ethnic groups of the Empire grew more and more towards separatism while the Jews tried to assimilate. Zionism did not attract many. Americans may feel that that is the right choice, but perhaps it was the key weakness that led to the Holocaust; the Jews did not act in their own interest until it was too late. He says on p.164 “While the lesser Habsburg nationalities cannibalized the Habsburg state in their frustration, the leading nationality—the Germans—cannibalized the Jews.” Perhaps he was referring to another situation, but ultimately that is exactly what happened.
Though hundreds of thousands of Jews emigrated to the New World before 1918 and some even after that, of all those that remained, only a handful survived by 1945. Thus, this is a history of temps perdus.
The text is dense, full of thousands of facts and names that appear and disappear. Sometimes they are not explained till some time after they appear, leading to my confusion. It is not easy reading in its desire to include Everything. I would say that it IS inclusive and perceptive, but outside of academia, may not appeal to many, hence my three stars.
The Habsburg Empire, later known as Austria-Hungary, contained large communities of Jews by the 18th century. Though earlier than that, proscriptions made it difficult for Jews to live in cities like Vienna and Prague, later loosening of such bans and the addition of southern Poland and western Ukraine after the 1772 division of that unlucky land, meant that the number of Jews grew to over two million, far above their number in any western European country. This study looks at the various communities spread round the Czech lands, Austria, Hungary, Trieste, Galicia and Bukovina (geographical divisions that no longer exist but are subsumed under Poland, Ukraine, and Romania) over the period 1670 to 1918, when the Empire, having struck back and started WW I, disappeared from the map.
In addition to being a general history of the Jews of that time and place, the author addresses the question of why the Jews engaged in “self-denial”—in other words, why did they not try to establish themselves as a separate ethnic or “national” minority on the same basis as Italians, Slovaks, Czechs, Slovenians, Croatians, Poles, Ruthenians, and several other minorities in the Empire? What kind of Jewish group survival was feasible in modern times and what kind was desirable? And then, what did that “self-denial” do to the modern Jews? (p.5) Examining a number of particular characters throughout the chosen period, he often contrasts the modernizing Jews of such places as Prague, Vienna and Budapest to the vast number of traditional Orthodox Jews or Hasidim who remained stuck in near-medieval conditions untouched by the modern world until very late. Through much of the book, I felt that because he was interested in change and the challenge to transform a very rigid traditional society, he concentrated too much on the urban Jews who often converted to Christianity, who mingled with the sophisticates of their home cities, and had little or nothing to do with the mass of Jews out in the small towns and villages. As economic conditions modernized in Austria-Hungary, more and more Jews arrived in the cities, escaping rural poverty. They left more of a historical record and so weigh more in this detailed account.
As the period covered was very eventful in Europe, he must take into consideration not only the gradual social and economic changes that swept the continent, but also such major events as the Napoleonic Wars and the many revolutions of 1848. As the restrictions on Jewish life loosened, more and more Jews left orthodoxy behind and took advantage of new possibilities, the prosperous ones joining the bourgeoisie, some few even becoming members of the nobility. Jewish manufacturers grew rich, attracting undue attention as “exploiters of labor”. It’s true, they did exploit labor, but so did the more numerous Christian factory owners. Anti-Semitism waxed and waned over the period and differed in intensity according to time and place. Pointing the finger at the Jews took the pressure off the others. By the 1800s, synagogues had been built in the major cities and Jews were allowed to enter any kind of business, special taxes on them were abolished.
In some sections of the book, McCagg looks at the various communities around the Empire and how they fared in the modernizing process—in Bohemia, in Vienna, in Hungary, in Galicia, or in Trieste. The more traditional Jews resisted the introduction of modern education while others welcomed it. By the late 19th century, the urban Jews of such cities as Vienna, Prague and Budapest formed part of the cultural elite and had produced major figures in many fields—Freud, Kafka, Mahler, Wittgenstein, Zweig. But as the author points out, the various ethnic groups of the Empire grew more and more towards separatism while the Jews tried to assimilate. Zionism did not attract many. Americans may feel that that is the right choice, but perhaps it was the key weakness that led to the Holocaust; the Jews did not act in their own interest until it was too late. He says on p.164 “While the lesser Habsburg nationalities cannibalized the Habsburg state in their frustration, the leading nationality—the Germans—cannibalized the Jews.” Perhaps he was referring to another situation, but ultimately that is exactly what happened.
Though hundreds of thousands of Jews emigrated to the New World before 1918 and some even after that, of all those that remained, only a handful survived by 1945. Thus, this is a history of temps perdus.
The text is dense, full of thousands of facts and names that appear and disappear. Sometimes they are not explained till some time after they appear, leading to my confusion. It is not easy reading in its desire to include Everything. I would say that it IS inclusive and perceptive, but outside of academia, may not appeal to many, hence my three stars.
December 31, 2022
Great stuff. Packed with useful explanation of the different trajectories of the various Jews of the Empire. Concentrates I thought on language, which is that faultline the Jews sat on. Very helpful detail on scores of characters from all the cities and political traditions. I would have liked an explanation here because I haven't yetseen one anywhere else, on the background to the linguistic censuses.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews