Leopold Kompert
Encyclopedia
Leopold Kompert was a Bohemian Jewish writer. He was born in Mnichovo Hradiště
, Bohemia
, and died in Vienna
.
He studied at the universities of Prague
and Vienna
, and was for several years tutor in the house of Count George Andrassy. In 1857 he entered the service of the Vienna Creditanstalt. As a member of the Vienna city council Kompert displayed a useful activity in the interest of education, and likewise, as a member of the board of the Jewish congregation, in the promotion of religious instruction. He took an active part also in the Israelitische Allianz of Vienna. As vice-president of the Israelitischer Waisenverein he devoted considerable attention to the education of orphans, and used his influence in the foundation of Baron Todesco's institution for the benefit of orphans who had left the asylum. He also held for many years honorary offices in the Schillerverein.
Kompert began his literary activity in the Pressburger Zeitung. From 1848 to 1852 he was editor of the Österreichischer Lloyd. As creator of ghetto literature he is called the Auerbach of the ghetto. His stories depicting the life, customs, and manners of the Bohemian Jews have become classical and have found many imitators. He draws the transition from the life in the narrow ghetto to the farmer's life in the open field; and he shows the struggles, doubts, and misgivings of those who, yielding to the impulse of modern times, undergo the changes of their newly chosen career. Seeing that under the leveling influence of the present day the characteristic inner Jewish life is threatened to vanish, he endeavors to preserve its originality, its deeper psychological, sentimental, and ethical spirit, for the knowledge of posterity.
Kompert's first story, Der Schnorrer, appeared in 1846 in Ludwig August Frankl's Sonntagsblatt, No. 7. Then followed
In Franzi und Heini, a picture of Vienna society, the Jewish pedler woman Perl Blüthenstern plays an important part. Some of these stories were first published in Wertheimer
's Jahrbuch für Israeliten. A complete edition of Kompert's works in eight volumes appeared in Berlin, 1882-83, and a new edition in Leipzig, 1887.
In 1863, Kompert published an article by Heinrich Graetz
in which Graetz interpreted Isaiah
chapters 52 and 53 to refer not to the personal Messiah
, but rather to the entire people Israel. Graetz and Kompert were brought to court in Vienna for publishing ideas that were heretical to Catholic faith, in addition to contradicting Jewish tradition. Viennese rabbis Isaak Noah Mannheimer and Lazar Horowitz
defended Graetz, and Azriel Hildesheimer
criticized them for doing so. This case, known as the "Kompert Affair," was in important date in defining the wedge between Orthodox Judaism
and the nascent Conservative Judaism
championed by the likes of Graetz and Zacharias Frankel.
Mnichovo Hradište
Mnichovo Hradiště is a town in the Central Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic. Its population is 8,500.The town was first mentioned in 1279 and contains a Renaissance castle which used to belong to the Wallenstein family...
, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, and died in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
He studied at the universities of Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
and Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, and was for several years tutor in the house of Count George Andrassy. In 1857 he entered the service of the Vienna Creditanstalt. As a member of the Vienna city council Kompert displayed a useful activity in the interest of education, and likewise, as a member of the board of the Jewish congregation, in the promotion of religious instruction. He took an active part also in the Israelitische Allianz of Vienna. As vice-president of the Israelitischer Waisenverein he devoted considerable attention to the education of orphans, and used his influence in the foundation of Baron Todesco's institution for the benefit of orphans who had left the asylum. He also held for many years honorary offices in the Schillerverein.
Kompert began his literary activity in the Pressburger Zeitung. From 1848 to 1852 he was editor of the Österreichischer Lloyd. As creator of ghetto literature he is called the Auerbach of the ghetto. His stories depicting the life, customs, and manners of the Bohemian Jews have become classical and have found many imitators. He draws the transition from the life in the narrow ghetto to the farmer's life in the open field; and he shows the struggles, doubts, and misgivings of those who, yielding to the impulse of modern times, undergo the changes of their newly chosen career. Seeing that under the leveling influence of the present day the characteristic inner Jewish life is threatened to vanish, he endeavors to preserve its originality, its deeper psychological, sentimental, and ethical spirit, for the knowledge of posterity.
Kompert's first story, Der Schnorrer, appeared in 1846 in Ludwig August Frankl's Sonntagsblatt, No. 7. Then followed
- Geschichten aus dem Ghetto, Leipzig, 1848;
- Böhmische Juden, Vienna, 1851;
- Am Pfluge, Berlin, 1855;
- Neue Geschichten aus dem Ghetto, Prague, 1860;
- Geschichten einer Gasse, Berlin, 1865;
- Zwischen Ruinen, ib. 1873;
- Franzi und Heini, eine Wiener Geschichte, ib. 1880;
- Verstreute Geschichten, ib. 1883.
In Franzi und Heini, a picture of Vienna society, the Jewish pedler woman Perl Blüthenstern plays an important part. Some of these stories were first published in Wertheimer
Wertheimer
Wertheimer is an Ashkenazi Jewish surname:People with this surname include:* Alain & Gerard Wertheimer, French Jewish billionaires owners of Chanel...
's Jahrbuch für Israeliten. A complete edition of Kompert's works in eight volumes appeared in Berlin, 1882-83, and a new edition in Leipzig, 1887.
In 1863, Kompert published an article by Heinrich Graetz
Heinrich Graetz
Heinrich Graetz was amongst the first historians to write a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective....
in which Graetz interpreted Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
chapters 52 and 53 to refer not to the personal Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, but rather to the entire people Israel. Graetz and Kompert were brought to court in Vienna for publishing ideas that were heretical to Catholic faith, in addition to contradicting Jewish tradition. Viennese rabbis Isaak Noah Mannheimer and Lazar Horowitz
Lazar Horowitz
Lazar Horowitz, or Eleazar HaLevi Ish Horowitz, Eleasar ben David Josua Hoeschel Horowitz, aka El'azar Hurwitz was an Orthodox Rabbi who led the Orthodox Jewish community of Vienna during the Vormärz period.Born in Bavaria, Horowitz was a student of Moses Sofer of Pressburg before moving to...
defended Graetz, and Azriel Hildesheimer
Azriel Hildesheimer
Esriel Hildesheimer was a German rabbi and leader of Orthodox Judaism. He is regarded as a pioneering modernizer of Orthodox Judaism in Germany and as a founder of Modern Orthodox Judaism.-Biography:...
criticized them for doing so. This case, known as the "Kompert Affair," was in important date in defining the wedge between Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
and the nascent Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
championed by the likes of Graetz and Zacharias Frankel.
Works
- 1848 - Aus dem Ghetto (Erzählungen)
- 1851 - Böhmische Juden (Erzählungen)
- 1855 - Am Pflug (Roman)
- 1860 - Neue Geschichten aus dem Ghetto (Erzählungen)
- 1865 - Geschichten einer Gasse
- 1875 - Zwischen Ruinen (Roman)
- 1881 - Franzi und Heini (Roman)
- Der Dorfgeher
- Die Jahrzeit
- Die Schwärmerin
- Eisik's Brille
- Gottes Annehmerin
- Judith die Zweite
- Ohne Bewilligung
- Leseprobe aus Die Kinder des Randars
External links
- Texte im Internet & Sekundäres
- Projekt Gutenberg-DE - Kultur - SPIEGEL ONLINE
- http://home.tiscalinet.ch/biographien/k/Kompert.htm