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Benjamin Crowder
Dr. Daniil Zavlunov
15 Feb 2019
Music and Social Injustice
Reflection #2
Anti-semitism was an issue throughout German history1. Why then was there such a rise
in the 20th century leading to the genocide of Jewish people? Interpretations talk vary from the use
of propaganda to the charismatic nature of Hitler’s speech and rhetoric. However, I think that the
social, religious, and economic aspects are what lead to genocide, a primary discussion with the
Sonderweg debate.
The idea of Sonderweg debate, which gained popularity in the 1960s and 70s, is defined as
“the question of whether Germany took a special and mistaken path to modernity, resulting in
World War I, World War II, and the Holocaust.”2 Taking a survey of German history, there are
signs that Anti-Semitism was prominent in society. Through literature and rhetoric, two primary
sources come to mind: Grimm’s Fairy Tales, specifically “Jew in a Bush,” and, Richard Wagner’s
“Jewry in Music.” “Jew in a Bush” was published in 1812 while “Jewry in Music” was in 1850.
The impact of anti-Semitic theology can be seen in the development of society before 1860, slowly
becoming a part of life. Since these materials were not censored the audience could be anyone.
Smith mentions, “The century also saw an intensification and clarification of religious identity,
the twining of that identity with politics, and the exacerbation of conflicts between religious groups.
1
I say the term “German” loosely since the entire country was split up into smaller states, and it only became
Germany when Unification happened in 1870 after Bismarck’s speech.
2
Smith 7
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By 1860, religion was not dead, but rather at the center of social and political life.”3 Religion was
an aspect of life which was a staple to the culture, and, with the prominent religion being
Christianity; there was no acceptance of Jewish people at that time. The mixture of religious
ideology and the social upbringing of values, was a part that helped spark the hate toward Jewish
people.
When one amalgamates these ideas, it can lead to Nationalism. The term Volk is a
reoccurring term that appears multiple times during the 19th century. Jansen describes the
components of nationalism being, “1. The understanding of the German ‘Volk’ of the German
nation as an ethnic entity, given by nature and based on common descent. 2. a sense of superiority
over other peoples;”4 The Jewish group of people immigrated to Germany throughout time, but
were not a “common descent” compared to people in the Germany who have been there since the
beginning. With nationalism being a strong force in the people, how does it affect the economy?
Economically, Germany rose in power quickly, compared to France or Britain, surpassing them
agricultural and industrial. This period was significant as the German people had would work hard
to have a chance at success. The stereotype of money or Jewish people has been seen throughout
history:
“the importance of Jewish bankers can be traced back to a historical path Dependence,
just as can their role in jewelry and diamond trade. In the era of Absolutism, they
served as court factors (court Jews) at many royal courts in Germany. In this function
they were responsible for furnishing and financing luxury goods for the court.”5
Was there a sense of jealousy from the German people and the Jews through the 19th century? Jews
have been seen with such power in history, both economically and politically. With control of
3
Smith, 7
4
Jansen, 242
5
Windolf, 11
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money, and this sense of superiority, the idea of a minority6 taking over is dangerous and goes the
idea of the Volk. It would be perfect to blame the Jewish people for any issues that occurred in
history for Germany, creating resentment until WWII.
With this information, there should be some clarification of why there was such a hate
towards the Jewish people. The lack of tolerance of religion and negative social ideals which have
been brought up since youth would contribute to politics and economics. It was a dangerous
accumulation of ideas which would become out of control by the time war started in Europe.
6
It should be noted that the Jewish were a race of people, and constituted less than 1% of the population in
Europe by the 1920s.
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Works Cited
Smith, Helmut Walser, and Christian Jansen. The Oxford Handbook of Modern German History. By
Helmut Walser Smith. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2015. 1-880.
Windolf, Paul H. "The German-Jewish Economic Elite (1900-1933)." SSRN Electronic Journal,
2015, 1-31. Accessed February 15, 2019. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2545818.
