Introduction

Taking a stand in the Berlin anti-Semitism debate

The open letter "Zur Judenfrage“ (on the Jewish question) by Harry Bresslau to Herrn Prof. Dr Heinrich von Treitschke

Around 1875, racist agitation against Jews in Germany was on the rise. A leading proponent of anti-Semitic polemics was Heinrich von Treitschke, a well-known historian and member of parliament, whose article „Unsere Aussichten“ (our views), published in 1879, reaches its climax in the parole: „the Jews are our great misfortune“. His theses provoked the so-called „Berlin Antisemitismusstreit“ (Berlin anti-Semitism debate) in academic circles, with a number of rebuttals written by prominent rabbis, Jewish politicians, and professors. One of the few Christians to defend the Jews in this acerbic conflict which lasted over two years was the later Nobel laureate for literature, Theodor Mommsen.

In 1880, Henry Bresslau, who since 1877 held a extraordinarius professorship in Berlin, responded to Treitschke’s polemics with his open letter appealing to the scientific ethics of his fellow historians with arguments based on historical facts and philosophical considerations: („even a patriot should not make claims that a historian cannot substantiate.“ p. 11). In support of his arguments, Bresslau even relates a personal anecdote, recalling how painful it was to him as a seven-year old who was guilty of no fault and knew nothing of national distinctions to be vilified as a Jew by the boys in the street (p. 11). He points out that Jews formed a large part of the artistic and scientific community in Germany, but fails to discuss the possibility that the spirit of competition itself might well be a driving factor behind the rising anti-Semitism. Listing the university positions occupied by Jews, he identifies 70 professors as purely Jewish by birth, including leading professors of Protestant theology, law, philosophy, philology, history, mathematics, medicine and the natural sciences. (S. 17).

Harry Bresslau’s arguments did little to convince Treitschke and his anti-Jewish partisans who were uninterested in facts. His appeal to reason fell on deaf ears. In the following years, although himself no practicing Jew, he experienced discrimination on the grounds of his Jewish origins, finding himself relegated behind his Christian colleagues when it came to career advancements. As a reason for denying him an ordinarius professorship, it was argued that non-Christians could not adequately teach medieval history, since this was closely intertwined with Church history. After several faculty members had repeatedly intervened with the ministry of education on his behalf citing his excellent scholarly achievements, Bresslau was finally offered a chair at the newly founded University of Strasbourg and accepted this post in 1890.

Zur Judenfrage: Sendschreiben an Herrn Prof. Dr. Heinrich von Treitschke von Harry Bresslau. Berlin 1880