Vienna was the city to be living in at the turn of the twentieth century, a city where art, architecture, music, painting, and literature were thriving. Vienna was also a city to which Jews had migrated and where they had found economic success while assimilating into the larger Austrian society. The convergence of these events provided the opportunity for a growing secular Jewish community to flourish as artists.
Vienna is Different is a detailed account of how the Jewish community of writers grew and prospered in fin de siècle Vienna. Hillary Hope Herzog explains the political background in which such great Jewish writers as Stefan Zweig and Arthur Schnitzler lived and wrote, and how it affected their work.
The rise of anti-Semitism and two world wars would change everything but not put an end to the particular society of Viennese Jewish writers. Professor Herzog continues the story of the evolving Jewish-Viennese culture by bringing us to present literary and political times.
This slim volume provides a well-researched and readable history of some of the great Jewish writers in one of history’s most fascinating periods.
Nonfiction
Vienna is Different: Jewish Writers in Austria from the Fin de Siècle to the Present
- Review
By
– February 27, 2012
Barbara Andrews holds a Masters in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago, has been an adult Jewish education instructor, and works in the corporate world as a professional adult educator.
Discussion Questions
Jewish literature inspires, enriches, and educates the community.
Help support the Jewish Book Council.