Wissenschaft des Judentums

The science of Judaism was one of the most influential intellectual currents of German-speaking Jewry. Emerged in the context of emancipation they started the modern scientific study of Judaism and was a key factor in the internal Jewish reform movements in the 19th century. With the introduction of historical criticism, they translated the traditional Jewish scholarship in the modern categories of thought and perception (mental ) sciences. Their representatives included Wilhelm Bacher, Leo Baeck, Abraham Berlin, Ismar Elbogen, Zacharias Frankel, Aron Freimann, Abraham Geiger, Heinrich Graetz, David Hoffmann, Manuel Joel, Isaac Markus Jost, David Kaufmann, Moritz Steinschneider and Leopold Zunz. Among the few scientists counted the historian Selma Stern.

History

Beginning by making 1818 the young Leopold Zunz with his article Something about the rabbinic literature. He called for a comprehensive manifesto for the historical study of the entire Jewish culture on the basis of literary sources. 1819 followed then in Berlin, the foundation of the Association for the Culture and Science of the Jews. In the Journal of the Science of Judaism Immanuel Wolf published in 1822 the Declaration of Principles " On the Concept of a Science of Judaism ". His theses are

• Judaism as an important and influential factor in the development of the human mind, who does not know, have either prejudice or do not understand that the history of the world is a large aggregate of individual events.

• Judaism is capable and in need of and for the scientific treatment. So far, there have, however, never been a comprehensive scientific presentation of Judaism, Jewish scholars had been limited to investigations theological content and thereby almost completely neglected the story. The science of Judaism must " on their object, and for himself, not for his own sake, for a special purpose, but for a specific purpose " treat.

The need for a scientific study to justify wolf one hand by the statement that every object that belongs somehow in the field of scientific research, must be examined in detail, as this also insights for other scientific objects could be obtained, on the other hand, Judaism is indeed a still living, integral part of the present. Heinrich Graetz, whose work would later form a climax of Jewish Studies, summed up, the articles in the society journal " contain mostly indigestible Hegelian gibberish or Gelehrtenkram " and are therefore available only for a very small circle. "And if the cultural association, which began as high aspiring and so miserably ended, only this one would have the effect to awaken the love of the science of Judaism, his dreams and bustle is not been in vain. "

Since a larger readership for the magazine could not be won, it was discontinued after three issues. However, they became the forerunner of the science of Judaism and its scientific press, the most important and longest-standing publication was the monthly journal for history and science of Judaism.

Its exclusively outside the German universities founded institutions counted the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau, which was opened in 1854 under the direction of Zacharias Frankel. Numerous important rabbis and scholars studied here. Heinrich Graetz and Isaac Bernays included with Frankel to the first lecturer. The monthly journal for history and science of Judaism was always close to the seminar and was edited down to its last volume (1939 ) of lecturers of the seminar. The College of Jewish Studies was opened in Berlin in 1872, a founding manifesto of 1870 it had an independent educational establishment for the purposes of conservation, education and dissemination of Jewish Studies from. 1873 was opened to Berlin by Esriel Hildesheimer the Orthodox rabbinical seminary in which Abraham Berliner and David Hoffmann taught. Equally significant was the Landesrabbinerschule to Budapest, and Rabbi Seminar ( Budapest), in 1877, the teaching commenced operations and the Wilhelm Bacher and David Kaufmann taught. Furthermore, some smaller Jewish scholarly associations were established, which served not just the rabbi training and worked at the local level. Of national importance was the Institute for the Advancement of Israelite literature (1855-1873), the misplaced among others Heinrich Graetz History of the Jews. It was founded by Ludwig Philippson Institute, editor of the Allgemeine Zeitung of Judaism. His son, the historian Martin Philippson was instrumental in the establishment of the Society for the Advancement of Jewish Studies (1903-1938), which was modeled on the Institute, the printing of scientific works and supported from 1903 winner of the monthly magazine. She was also responsible for the outline of a total science of Judaism, under which appeared under other Religion of Reason out of the Sources of Judaism by Hermann Cohen. Another institution, the Academy established in 1919, is to call for the Science of Judaism.