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"Science of Judaism" letter collection

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National Library of Israel
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The term Science of Judaism, in original "Wissenschaft des Judentums", appeared between 1818 and 1822 in several writings by Leopold Zunz and Immanuel Wolf. Especially Zunz can be considered the father of this term. It was an approach to the study of Jewish history, Jewish culture and religion with scientific methods. Zunz, Heinrich Heine, Eduard Gans, and others founded the Verein für Kultur und Wissenschaft der Juden in Berlin in 1819, and the Zeitschrift für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums in 1823. From these beginnings the study of Judaism has developed into many fields. The first institutions teaching in this field were the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau (founded in 1854), the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums in Berlin (1872), The Rabbinical Seminary of Budapest (1877), and the Academy for the Science of Judaism in Berlin (1919). The collection includes letters written to different personalities linked to the "Wissenschaft des Judentums", mainly from Germany and Hungary in the 19th and 20th century.

Reference Code
ARC. Ms. Var. 236
Dates
1833-1920
Consists of
0.8 meter..
Languages
German; Hebrew; hun;
Description
This collection is made up of 2 separate collections, each of which constitutes a series. Series 1: A collection of letters mainly addressed to the two Jewish Viennese scholars, Gerson Wolf (1823-1892) and Bernhard Beer (1801-1861). This collection was permanently deposited in the National Library around 1960. Series 2: A collection of letters mainly addressed to Ludwig Blau (1861-1936) and Wilhelm Bacher (1850-1913), both directors of the Rabbinical Seminary in Budapest, Hungary. This collection was acquired in 2017.;האוסף מורכב משני אוספים שונים המחולקים לשתי סדרות: סדרה 1: אוסף מכתבים הממוענים בעיקר אל שני המלומדים היהודים מוינה, גרשון וולף (1823-1892) וברנרד בער (1801-1861). אוסף זה הופקד לצמיתות בספריה הלאומית בסביבות שנת 1960. סדרה 2: אוסף מכתבים הממוענים בעיקר אל לודוויג בלאו (יהודה אריה בלוי, 1861-1936) ובנימין זאב בכר (1850-1913), שעמדו שניהם בראש בית המדרש לרבנים בבודפשט, הונגריה. אוסף זה נרכש ע"י הספריה הלאומית בשנת 2017.
location
  • The Archives Collection of the National Library of Israel The Archives Collection of the National Library of Israel
Title "Science of Judaism" letter collection
Additional Titles כותרת בעברית: אוסף "חכמת ישראל".
"Wissenschaft des Judentums" Collection.
Citation Note ARC. Ms. Var. 236 "Wissenschaft des Judentums" Letter Collection, Archives Department, National Library of Israel, Jerusalem
Host Item "Science of Judaism" letter collection
Former Call Number Ms. Var. 236
Level of Description Fonds Record
Biographical summary The Wissenschaft des Judentums, translated as "Science of Judaism" or "Academic study of Judaism", was developed by supporters of enlightenment, reform and assimilation and meant to research Judaism outside its traditional approaches to texts. Instead the non-Jewish modern tools of researching literature were applied to develop a history of Judaism. In 1819 the Verein für Cultur und Wissenschaft der Juden was founded in Berlin, the Zeitschrift für die Wissenschaft des Judentums established, and institutions followed: the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau, in Berlin the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums in 1872 and the Akademie für die Wissenschaft des Judentums in 1919. The Rabbinical Seminary of Budapest was established in 1877 as a liberal school with additional secular education. The letter collection contains in series 1 letters mainly addressed to two Jewish Viennese scholars, Gerson Wolf (1823-1892) and Bernhard Beer (1801-1861). Series 2 comprises a collection of letters mainly addressed to Ludwig Blau (1861-1936) and Wilhelm Bacher (1850-1913), both directors of the Rabbinical Seminary in Budapest, Hungary.
Language Note The material is in German, Hebrew, and Hungarian.
Credits Science of Judaism letter collection, The National library of Israel. Digitization and cataloguing of this fonds was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG / German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy - EXC 2176 'Understanding Written Artefacts: Material, Interaction and Transmission in Manuscript Cultures', project no. 390893796. The research is conducted within the scope of the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) at Universität Hamburg.
National Library system number 990030273450205171

When using this material, please acknowledge the source of the material as follows:

Science of Judaism letter collection, The National library of Israel. Digitization and cataloguing of this fonds was funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG / German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy - EXC 2176 'Understanding Written Artefacts: Material, Interaction and Transmission in Manuscript Cultures', project no. 390893796. The research is conducted within the scope of the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) at Universität Hamburg.

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