The Hamburg System - Additional Info Landmarks of Jewish History
In 1864, the Senate abolished the obligation to belong to any religious congregation and it called for a revision of the German-Israelitem Congregation’s regulations. Serious differences of opinion arose between reform-oriented and orthodox members. The Congregation threatened to break apart. The “Hamburg System” of 1867 constituted a compromise. For the first time, a constitution within the German-Jewish congregations enshrined tolerance toward different religious denominations.
The Congregation acted as an organizational umbrella, taking on central tasks such as education, welfare, funerals, and finances. It also represented Jews in urban society. In addition, two, and later three, religious associations were established. They were autonomous in religious matters and used their own synagogues. The majority of congregation members were not affiliated with any of the associations.
Clubs and associations
Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, “leisure time” had gained importance in Jewish and non-Jewish society. Organized outside of religion and family, this could be an alternative expression of identity. The abolition of compulsory membership in the Congregation in 1864 reinforced this development. A flourishing associational life emerged – in some cases with an explicit Jewish identity. By 1913, over 130 Jewish associations existed in Hamburg with political, athletic, or cultural orientations.
Religious associations
The liberal Israelite Temple Association had existed within the German-Israelite Congregation since 1817. Orthodox congregation members founded their own association in 1868, the German-Israelite Synagogue Association. The Neue Dammtor Synagogue Association was founded in 1894. It followed a conservative rite and stood between orthodoxy and reform. In 1923, it was accepted as the third religious association.
Zionism in Hamburg and Altona
Zionism found some committed supporters in Hamburg. In 1898, a joint local group of the Zionist Association for Germany was founded. In 1909, the 9th Zionist Congress, the first and only one in Germany, took place in a concert hall on Reeperbahn. However, the vast majority of Jews in Hamburg and Altona were skeptical or even dismissive toward Zionist ideas.
Captions
Neue Dammtor Synagogue
Postcard, circa 1900, reproduction, Hamburg State Archives, reference number 720-1/1-131-05 = 50/0011.002
The Neue Dammtor Synagogue opened in 1895. The association of the same name had only been founded in 1894. Its oriental-style exterior was long deemed a typical synagogue architectural style. Located on today’s Allendeplatz, hidden behind residential buildings, it was the first synagogue in the Grindel quarter.
Kohlhöfen Synagogue
Woodcut, circa 1860, reproduction, SHMH Museum of Hamburg History, Inv. No. 2008-01031
The synagogue on Kohlhöfen was the main synagogue of the German-Israelite Congregation. Attended by congregation members who did not adhere to Reform Judaism, it was the first synagogue in Hamburg to be visible from the street. The yellow brick building with a large dome was dedicated in 1859.
Invitation from the Zionist local group Hamburg-Altona
Document, 1904, reproduction, Hamburg State Archives, reference number 522-1-823
The Zionist local group Hamburg-Altona was founded in 1898 as an offshoot of the Zionist Association of Germany. By the end of 1909, the group had around 400 members – out of a total of approximately 19,000 Jews. In addition to the Conventgarten, the Zionists also frequently used rooms in the Logenheim on Hartungstraße.
Invitation to a Gala Gymnastics Meeting
Document, 1903, reproduction, Hamburg State Archives, reference number 522-1-822
As early as about 1900, several Jewish sports clubs existed in Hamburg. Former students of the Talmud Torah School founded the Israelite Gymnastics Association in 1899, which became the Jewish Gymnastics Association of 1902. The Bar Kochba Club, established in 1910, was explicitly Zionist in orientation.
Ernst Tuch
Association Official and Zionist, 1872–1922
Passport, 1921, reproduction, Hamburg Institute for Social Research, reference number GOR 103,02
Ernst Tuch became interested in Zionism at an early age. He studied ‘Oriental sciences’ and learned Hebrew and Arabic. In 1910, he founded the Bar Kochba Jewish Gymnastics Club in Hamburg. Sport was to be part of a new, self-determined Jewish identity.
Sidonie Werner
Teacher and Women’s Rights Activist, 1860–1932
Newspaper clipping, undated, reproduction, Hamburg State Archives, reference number 731-8 A 773 Werner, Sidonie
Sidonie Werner worked as a teacher and she also became involved in social and women’s rights issues. She was a co-founder and long-time chairwoman of the Israelite Humanitarian Women’s Association. This association explicitly appealed to a Jewish audience and set up an employment agency.
GlossarY
Orientalising architectural style
Orientalism in architecture describes the imitation of styles from Moorish or Ottoman architecture. The ‘Orientalising’ synagogue architectural style was very popular in the 19th century. Jewish communities wanted to emphasise their independence from Christian church buildings and at the same time recall the Middle Eastern roots of Judaism.
Orient
The ‘Orient’ in the 19th-century understanding was a collective geographical term. It could encompass North Africa and the entire Asian continent, but referred primarily to the areas of today’s Middle East. This was linked to stereotypical ideas of an ‘Oriental’ culture and a derogatory or distorted image of the people living there.
Zionism
Zionism is a political movement that emerged in the 19th century and was modelled on other European national movements. The aim of Zionism was to establish a Jewish state in Palestine, partly as a response to anti-Semitism.