Jud Süss
Aufstieg und Fall im frühen 18. Jahrhundert : ein Beitrag zur historischen Antisemitismus- und Rezeptionsforschung
Description:... Analyzes popular literature on Joseph Süss Oppenheimer published about the time of his execution in 1738, and interprets it as a reaction to social upheaval. Oppenheiner was a prominent example of the "court Jews" representing the mercantile policies of the absolutist prince, who was taking over power from the traditional "estates." His rise to greatness was in itself a violation of the traditional Christian social order. In accordance with general stereotypes of the Jew, Oppenheimer was accused of getting rich quick by swindling and was identified with the Jewish underclass of rogues and robbers. The chronicles emphasize his ostentatious life style and his assumption of honors not befitting a Jew. His downfall was seen as the judgment of God, and he was portrayed arriving in hell where he was welcomed by his fellow Jews. also surveys "Jud Süss" literature and historiography of the 19th-20th centuries and concludes that his image was politicized by both antisemites and Jews, whether as the prototype of the Jewish scoundrel or as the pioneer of emancipation.
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