Passing Illusions: Jewish Visibility in Weimar Germany

Description

Challenges the notion that Weimar Jews sought to be invisible or indistinguishable from other Germans by “passing” as non-Jews Weimar Germany (1919–33) was an era of equal rights for women and minorities, but also of growing antisemitism and hostility toward the Jewish population. This led some Jews to want to pass or be perceived as non-Jews; yet there were still occasions when it was beneficial to be openly Jewish. Being visible as a Jew often involved appearing simultaneously non-Jewish and Jewish. Passing Illusions examines the constructs of German-Jewish visibility during the Weimar Republic and explores the controversial aspects of this identity—and the complex reasons many decided to conceal or reveal themselves as Jewish. Focusing on racial stereotypes, Kerry Wallach outlines the key elements of visibility, invisibility, and the ways Jewishness was detected and presented through a broad selection of historical sources including periodicals, personal memoirs, and archival documents, as well as cultural texts including works of fiction, anecdotes, images, advertisements, performances, and films. Twenty black-and-white illustrations (photographs, works of art, cartoons, advertisements, film stills) complement the book’s analysis of visual culture. “A powerful and original work of scholarship . . . Wallach brings a fresh theoretical perspective to the study of early twentieth-century German-Jewish history and culture, drawing her concept of passing from African-American and LGBT Studies and paying systematic attention to the category of gender throughout.” — Jonathan Hess, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Wallach’s superbly researched study convincingly shows that German Jews of this era not only had the ability to pass or not-pass as Jewish, but also had ample reasons for taking advantage of this powerful assimilation strategy. One of its great strengths is the author’s careful attention to detail about how the need for Jews to pass or not-pass varied according to time, place, and gender.” — Lisa Silverman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee "This well-written book makes for a fascinating exploration of how Jewishness was coded, displayed, concealed, and both voluntarily and involuntarily revealed, or outed. Extensive notes and bibliography...Highly recommended." — Choice Reviews "Wallach’s clear writing, deft analysis, and the wealth of fascinating detail in her book left me wanting more." — Valerie Weinstein, The German Quarterly "Passing Illusions proves to be very exciting reading, opening a number of new perspectives for research on German-Jewish history." — H-Soz-Kult Passing, covering, revealing -- Methods of projecting and detecting Jewishness -- Coming out as Jewish: print, stage, and screen displays -- Hostile outings: when being seen was undesirable -- Mistaken identifications and nonrecognitions -- German-Jewish passing in comparative contexts.