The Social Origins of Success

Jewish success in certain spheres was indeed so quick and sweeping that contemporaries and later historians too tended to describe it in superlative terms and even historical categories. This grew especially significant after the appearance of political antisemitism in the late 1870s. To defend themselves against the campaign of defamation, Jews had to develop a variety of strategies. Central among them was their effort to stress their contribution to German culture, in the visual arts, music, literature, and especially in the various fields of science. Significantly, even at the outset of the process of emancipation, defending oneself by arguing for the equality of all human beings was inadequate for the task. Instead, the “practical” argument became increasingly more common; namely, given legal and social equality, Jews were eminently capable of contributing to the welfare of state and society in one way or another, and they should be granted emancipation for this if for no other reason. Aspirations for full equality and claims pertaining to their unique accomplishments became inextricably linked throughout German Jewish history. At the time of late absolutism, the potential economic contribution of Jews was the central issue at stake. Later, and especially after the foundation of Bismarck's Kaiserreich, the debate focused on their cultural contribution. Once again, this was an implicit justification for their acceptance as full citizens and an integral part of non-Jewish society. Their contribution was construed as a kind of returned favor, measure for measure.