In his 1781 essay, “Concerning the Amelioration of the Civil Status of the Jews”, Christian Wilhelm von Dohm, one of the key leaders of the German Aufklärung, famously stated that “everything the Jews are blamed for is caused by the political conditions under which they now live”. This was one of the arguments in favor of the Jewish Emancipation, and it implied that the Jews would improve their economic position and move from “corrupt” occupations in usury and commerce into more “productive” professions (primarily, agriculture) once full civil equality is achieved and all repressive laws are abolished. The similar rationale was behind the reforms that Joseph II initiated in Austria in the 1780s. In general, Enlightenment thinkers and policy-makers believed that the unequal distribution of the Jews in various sectors of the economy was the product of the feudal corporate society. Thus, the Emancipation was supposed to change the situation radically and provide a more just allocation of the Jewish specialists into different professions.
However, it proved just not to be true. The first major social change in post-Enlightenment Europe, the French Revolution, brought the Jews full civil equality. The years that followed it, however, showed that the Jews were unwilling to abandon their traditional occupations and business strategies and migrate to the agricultural professions. Moreover, in its own turn it might have been one of the reasons behind the Napoleonic backlash in the mid-1800s.
In this essay I will discuss whether Emancipation of Jews in Europe in the nineteenth century was actually followed by the desired change in Jewish economic position and occupational strategies. In doing so, I will concentrate on the two countries where legal emancipation had already been achieved by the end of the nineteenth century – Austria and the Netherlands, as presented by Ivar Oxaal and Walter R. Weitzmann and J. C. H. Blom and J. J. Cahen. To achieve the above-mentioned goal, I should analyze several major problems: 1) Jewish outcomes in terms of economic position (alleged and real wealth and poverty in the Jewish communities); 2) over-representation and under-representation of the Jews in certain sectors of the economy; and 3) the reasons behind various career strategies of the Jews and various possible explanations of specifically Jewish economic behavior.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Jewish wealth and Jewish poverty
- Jews over-represented and under-represented
- Possible explanations of Jewish career strategies
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines whether the Emancipation of Jews in Europe during the 19th century led to the anticipated shift in Jewish economic status and occupational strategies. It focuses on Austria and the Netherlands, analyzing the experiences of the Jewish communities in these nations as depicted by Oxaal/Weitzmann and Blom/Cahen. The essay explores key problems: Jewish economic outcomes (wealth and poverty), over/under-representation in specific sectors, and the motivations behind Jewish career choices. It aims to determine the extent to which the perceived economic power of Jews in the late 19th and early 20th centuries reflected reality.
- The impact of Emancipation on Jewish economic status and occupational choices
- Persistence of poverty and over-representation in trade professions within Jewish communities
- Reasons behind Jewish economic behavior and career strategies
- Analysis of Jewish wealth and poverty, considering stereotypes and real economic situations
- Examination of over/under-representation in various economic sectors, particularly in relation to agriculture and trade
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Jewish wealth and Jewish poverty: The essay analyzes the persistent stereotype of Jews as wealthy, challenging the notion that they were universally prosperous before and after Emancipation. It explores the prevalence of poverty within Jewish communities, particularly in Austria and the Netherlands, citing evidence from both Oxaal/Weitzmann and Blom/Cahen.
- Jews over-represented and under-represented: The essay investigates the persistent over-representation of Jews in trade and finance, and their under-representation in agricultural professions, despite the expectations of the Enlightenment reformers who advocated for Jewish integration into "productive" occupations. The essay examines statistical data from Austria and the Netherlands to demonstrate this phenomenon.
- Possible explanations of Jewish career strategies: The essay explores potential explanations for the continued persistence of traditional Jewish occupational patterns and their reluctance to radically alter their career strategies. It considers factors such as external hindrances, the influence of historical traditions, and the evolution of certain occupations like commercial travelling and diamond trading.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The essay delves into the dynamics of Jewish economic activity and occupational choices in 19th-century Austria and the Netherlands. It explores key concepts including Jewish Emancipation, economic status, occupational strategies, wealth and poverty, over/under-representation, and the impact of historical traditions on Jewish economic behavior.
- Quote paper
- Pavel Vasilyev (Author), 2009, Professional Re-Stratification of the Jews in the Works of Oxaal/Weitzmann and Blohm/Cahen, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/163778
