The Hunt in Bohemia

The great controversy in Bohemia surrounding the language legislation shows Austrian Jews in a strange position. They go along loyally with those who only yesterday had been their fiercest enemies—and will be again tomorrow. If the matter were not so very serious, one would find this infinitely comical. National-minded Jews, who have already succeeded in embracing their own ethnicity, might want to laugh grimly at the spectacle of Jews clinging to the coattails of racist antisemites. But their mockery would be a bit unfair, and we are not bringing dishonor to our own convictions if we try to comprehend the situation and the mood of those German-nationalist Jews.

First we need to sort out the various subtypes. Certainly among them are some who concur or follow merely for reasons of personal advantage or concerns for their safety. They are isolated and wedged like a vein into alien rock. Even in quiet times they are felt to be alien bodies by the majority around them. But when the national sentiment of the others is excited, they must act with even greater prudence. Given the particular economic situation of the Jews who are most engaged in trade, they are subject to the caprices and despotic whims, if not of individuals, then of their business connections and clientele. They must not put off these circles. Hence, if they are flexible and swim with the current, one ought not to judge them too harshly. Those who never made a concession in order to ease their existence may pick up the first stone against them. For the family man, his children will stammer the excuse. The civil servant who suffers the quirks of his superior, the lawyer who does not want to annoy his clients, the artisan who bows to his customers—everyone who is dependent on third parties must understand the Jewish businessman, when he spinelessly participates in the political movements of his environment.

But then there are those who carry it too far. We see repulsive instances of Moyshele disguised as Teuton; but we also see the decent assimilated Jew who finds himself today in a tragic position. We want to take a closer look at him now. The mode of fighting that ridicules and denigrates every opponent is contemptuous of our Zionism. We want to open the eyes of our brothers who cut off their roots to the fact that they are swaying about without anything to hold onto.

The Jews of German culture, whose adolescence and early adulthood occurred at the time when liberal ideas reigned, committed themselves warmly and wholeheartedly to the German nation. They loved their Germanness tenderly and served the German people and the idea of civil liberties with loyalty and self-sacrifice. They nestled closely to the German nation in struggles and sorrows, too closely it would appear. Because suddenly they were being shaken off. Suddenly they were called parasites who were sucking their host dry.

With one jolt they were no longer Germans, but Jews. It was a transformation without a transition, sudden, like being awakened from a dream. Reality had them in its grip again with a brutality they had already become half unused to. Everything that occurred hitherto had been a mistake, their life plan had been developed on an erroneous basis, all sacrifices had been for naught, all loyalty in vain.

Human beings and their capacity to absorb what is happening are very diverse. Circumstances determine the impression that events make on us, and at every stage of life we feel differently. This explains quite naturally why the violent elimination of Jews from German culture and identity affected Jews in such different ways. Some saw themselves suddenly standing all alone, homeless in the country of their birth. Home is not just a geographical fact; being used to a city, a street, a house is the least important form of home. At-homeness is more than just a connection to lifeless objects. At-homeness is the accepted integration into the thinking and feeling of the national community. The emphasis is on accepted. Without acceptance there is no at-homeness. . . .

Others strove vigorously to become part of a national community from which no change in the political weather could ever relegate them. Today this striving already has a solid ring in the world, under the name Zionism. A third group still could not believe that they had been excluded from Germanness, even as the door was clearly and brutally slammed shut in their faces.

But now a crisis arrived for Germanness in Austria, or, let us say: in Bohemia, so as not to exaggerate. It is a serious crisis; according to reports in the newspapers there can be no doubt about that. Germans in Bohemia feel put upon and threatened in their national existence. We, who also define ourselves as a nation, cannot witness this struggle without empathy. But it is of political interest to us only to the degree that it affects Jews. And yet it is a moment in which everything that ties us to German culture comes alive in our feelings. And for that reason it is necessary and sensible to render an accounting of the most dignified attitude that we may and should assume. For us Zionists the question and answer are simple. We are in favor of the natural and unhampered development of every ethnicity, including the Germans. We are against oppressing and stultifying any living folk, and hence are also in favor of the Czechs. The real issue in this quarrel is evidently a border dispute that concerns only the two parties. Where does justice lie? Evidently in the middle. The matter is pulled to the one side, then to the other, so alternately each opponent is in the wrong. That is how it presents itself to us as objective observers. We consider it improper to foreground our own complaints in this quarrel and, in any case, we would be judging those Jews who during a difficult situation for the Germans transformed themselves from German into Czech assimilationists.

We honor the feelings of the German Jews living in Bohemia—but we cannot understand them. But what about the expression of these feelings? To what degree are they worthy, and are they at all politically sensible? But another question needs to be considered first: What are the fellow citizens of the Mosaic faith in Bohemia at the moment? Are they Germans or are they Jews?

Given the tautness with which the German nationalist movement in Bohemia is managed, one could demand an official answer from its leaders. Strangely, the Germans of Mosaic faith have so far neglected to make this inquiry, which would be timely and justified at this point. It is not at all enough that they “feel themselves to be German,” as popular expression has it. Are they regarded as such by the other members of the community? It would be more interesting now than ever before to get an exact answer.

It is an idle question. Don’t we know the answer already? Do the leaders of the Germans take the least care to hide their true convictions? No, to give these gentlemen the credit they deserve, it must be said that even during the battle, which is being fought on another front, they cannot be faulted for being inconsistent regarding the Jews. Obviously it is not at all necessary for them to buy an assistance that is being made available to them with the greatest self-abandonment. And here we have arrived at the point where it becomes completely impossible to comprehend the Jewish German-nationalist. If German leaders remained silent, one could imagine that some Jews simply suffered from poor memory, which would be quite human. A kick that one received three months ago sinks into history, and a true pragmatic politician should consider only the last twenty-four hours. But the expressions of disdain and hatred are renewed for them daily, and they must have a lot of cotton in their ears if they do not hear them. If only they had at least the consolation that their services supporting the struggle of the Germans in Bohemia were being acknowledged. But, no, school, sports, and music clubs are increasingly becoming more Aryan and cleansed of Jews. Even the money of the Jews, which, one would assume, non olet [does not stink], is being rejected with a gesture of contempt. In the School Association, which had such dedicated members in the Jews, people fight over whether one should continue to accept Jew-money. The general mood is against it. How many German assemblies are being conducted from which Jews are explicitly barred, and in those assemblies, delegates speak who were elected with Jewish votes. But the German Jews endure these humiliations. Perhaps they are hoping that in the future they will, at least, not be attacked, even if they will never be regarded as equals. No, the deputy Hofmann von Wellenhof stated clearly that the closed season will only last as long as the present fight against the government. Deputy Wolf stated in the October 26 session of the Imperial Council: “In Bohemia we are dealing not with two but three peoples: Germans, Czechs, and Jews. . . .” And further: “Our fiercest opponents, with whom we are currently fighting, until the time arrives when we shake hands in agreement over the heads of the Jews and the government.”

Oh, those are only the most extreme partisans; the so-called level-headed elements are of proven friendliness toward the Jews—how condescending—and hold on to the principles of freedom. Yes, today they have merged already with the party of the German antisemites; they easily got over that negligible little bit of the Jewish Question. They are lying in each other’s arms, weeping for grief and joy. German-liberal? That is an old couplet from the time of the crinoline. The men of those days have died or have fallen out of time and one can admire their idleness in the House of Lords and high offices. But there is a last objection: if there have been such men, a new crop may rise. Right, but the true nature of the liberalism of these benefactors is slowly being revealed. The Prague journal Politik reports a tidbit about Dr. [Franz] Schmeykal, the late leader of the Germans in Bohemia, that is confirmed through other recollections by the Volksblatt in Graz. Politik writes: “It is an open secret that deep in his heart Dr. Schmeykal harbored the same antisemitic feelings as—the other German Liberals. In his office in the executive branch of the regional parliament, he could express his hostility toward the Jews quite rudely. Yes, it was also he who publicly denied that Jews were Germans. In the most favorable case he would be willing to tolerate ‘German-friendly Israelites’ as contributors to payments and electoral votes.”

Poor, stupid German Jews! Love’s labors were in vain. You are what you were, and you will remain what you are: German-friendly Israelites. And that was said by Schmeykal, your benefactor, Schmeykal, the “liberal.” Yes, indeed, awakening from that dream is shot through with bitterness. Do, finally, accept the facts for what they are and escape from a situation that grows worse and more miserable every day.

It is not uninteresting to look at the distribution of Jews in the various linguistic regions of Bohemia. In total 94,479 Jews are living in Bohemia. The following table presents an overview:

Of the 7,210 communities, 3,576 are purely Czech; of the 94,479 Jews, 15,597 are living in purely Czech communities, and 55,899 in mixed-language communities with a Czech majority.

When, under these circumstances, faced with Czech predominance and knowing that they will make bitter enemies of them, the Jews still cling to their supposed Germanness, one could possibly see something heroic in that decision, perhaps even “German loyalty,” which is the subject of so many student fraternity songs. But a real German man will not be moved by any of that and Mr. Hofmann von Wellenhof will let us know when the closed season is over.

Closed season is the period when useful wildlife should not be shot. Patience, the day will come when the Jews can be devoured again. Then there will be happy hunting in all game reserves.

But then Czech beaters and hunters will join the Germans. The circle will narrow and our poor hares of Bohemia will be dashing about utterly bewildered.