Civic Equality - Additional Info Landmarks of Jewish History
After civic rights were revoked again in 1814, parts of Jewish society continued to strive for legal equality. The struggle for emancipation was a decades-long process. Efforts were made to modernize and to influence the non-Jewish majority society politically. The latter demanded assimilation and conversion. The Society for the Social and Political Interests of Jews, founded in 1845, advocated for equality without abandoning the principles of Judaism.
Jews were granted their first political and economic civic rights in Altona in 1842 and in Hamburg in 1849. This gave them access to new professions, for example. The new Hamburg constitution of 1860 then provided for freedom of religion and complete political equality for all male Jews. In Altona and Wandsbek, this process was not completed until 1863. Like all women, Jewish women in Germany did not receive the right to vote or stand for election until 1918.
1811/5571. Laws under Napoleon
Until 1811, the provisions of the Imperial Decree for Jews of 1710 applied in Hamburg. Like all French citizens, Hamburg’s Jews were granted full political and civic rights under Napoleonic rule between 1811 and 1814. This distinguished them from the situation in Altona and Wandsbek. In 1814, the Hamburg reinstated the regulations of 1710.
Charitable Foundations and Associations
Jewish foundations developed in a particularly diverse manner in Hamburg. In addition to charitable foundations, which were often non-denominational, there was also a commitment to science and culture. In response to the granting of civic rights, the Vaterstädtische Stiftung was established in 1849. Its Jewish initiators wanted to use it to create free housing for Jewish and Christian families.
Setbacks
In their efforts to achieve emancipation, Jews were repeatedly subjected to attacks. All partial successes were achieved against fierce resistance. Antisemitism was based on old stereotypes, economic competition, and Christian anti-Judaism. Since 1819, there had been repeated anti-Jewish riots in Hamburg. These were used as an excuse to continue denying civic rights.
Captions
Salomon Heine
Banker and Patron of the Arts, 1767–1844
Portrait of Salomon Heine in front of the Elbe panorama, Speckter & Co., chalk lithograph, 1842, SHMH-Altona Museum, Inv. No. AB05039
The owner of a banking house, Heine was one of the wealthiest people in Hamburg. He founded and supported numerous enterprises: Jewish, interdenominational, and secular. He was one of the largest financial backers of Hamburg’s reconstruction after the Great Fire of 1842 – without holding Hamburg citizenship.
Gabriel Riesser
Lawyer and Politician, 1806–1863
Portrait of Gabriel Riesser, Moritz Daniel Oppenheim and Eduard Gustav May, 1848, chalk lithograph, reproduction, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, Inv. No. EB1928,1559
Riesser campaigned in politics and the media for legal equality – regardless of faith. In 1848, he was a member of the Frankfurt National Assembly, later becoming chairman of the Hamburg city parliament. In 1860, he was appointed Germany’s first Jewish judge in Hamburg.
Johanna Goldschmidt
Writer and Educator, 1806–1884
Photograph, undated, Hamburg State Archives, reference number 271 362-5/8-271
Johanna Goldschmidt came from a liberal religious family and was also socially and politically active in promoting the rights of women and Jews. She developed modern methods of child rearing and is considered a pioneer in the analysis of early childhood development.
Israelite Hospital
Christoph Wohlien, lithograph, around 1850, reproduction, SHMH-Altonaer Museum, Inv. No. 1957-164
The Israelite Hospital in St. Pauli was opened in 1843. Salomon Heine donated the entire construction costs in memory of his wife Betty Heine. It belonged to the German-Israelite Congregation, but was open to patients of all denominations. In 1939, the city expropriated the building.
Cup with a view of the country house of Salomon Heine
Unknown manufacturer, porcelain with gilding and painting, 1830, SHMH-Altona Museum, Inv. No. 1934-193a
Starting in 1808, Salomon Heine spent his summers on Elbchaussee in Ottensen. Heine’s home on the Elbe River was a meeting place for people of diverse faiths and social backgrounds. It is unusual that an object related to Salomon Heine was added to a museum collection in 1934.
Medal in Honor of Gabriel Rieser
Bronze, 1836, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, Inv. No. MK 894
The medal depicts a mother enthroned, breastfeeding two children. The seated women at her side represent Judaism and Christianity. The inscription reads: “Do we not all have one Father, did not one God create us?” The reverse side bears the text: “For justice and freedom, D. Gabriel Riesser, his fellow believers in Hamburg, 1836.”
Two Medals and a Token Commemorating the Construction of the Israelite Hospital
Bronze, copper, 1841, SHMH-Altona Museum, Inv. No. AB09600-2-1717, AB09600-2-1696, AB09600-2-1801
The two medals and the token commemorate the laying of the foundation stone of the Israelite Hospital on June 16, 1841. Particular emphasis is placed on the contribution made by Salomon Heine with the quote “Humanity is the crown of all virtues,” as well as Heine’s wish that the hospital be dedicated to the memory of his wife Betty.
Two Medals Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Israelite Advance Credit Institute
Silver, bronze, 1841, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, Inv. No. MK817, MK 818
Religious quotations on the medals serve as a reminder that providing financial support to those in need is one of the good deeds. The Advance Credit Institute granted loans to congregation members in need, provided they were engaged in a “useful trade.” The aim was to help people help themselves.
Two Medals Commemorating the Founding of the Oppenheimer Foundation
Medal Commemorating Dedication of the Oppenheimer Foundation, Relocated to Kielortallee
Silver, copper, silver, 1868 and 1908, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, Inv. No. MK 598, MK 599, MK 5053
The charitable foundation, established by Hamburg merchant Hirsch Berend Oppenheimer, provided free housing for Jewish families in need at Krayenkamp. A prayer room with strictly Orthodox rites was integrated into the residential home. In 1908, the foundation was relocated to Kielortallee. From 1945 to 1960, the prayer room served as a synagogue for the newly established Hamburg Congregation.
Glossary
Anti-Judaism
Anti-Judaism refers to the rejection of and hostility towards Judaism as a religion. This attitude arises from religious differences, particularly in the Christian-Islamic context.