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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
rabbinical positions in Poland others, like Schmelke Horowitz, rabbi in Nikolsburg (d. 1778), and Ezekiel Landau, chief rabbi of Prague (1754-93), were called to Austria from Poland. Prominent men from Austria filled positions in Germany; e.g., the Tbomim-Frankel family, the Bach abacus, Jacob Poppers in Frankfort-on-the-Main, and Jacob Reischer in Metz, both the latter being natives of Prague. To Bohemia, as the country of their nativity, point the names of Horowitz and Lipschiltz, the latter derived from Liebeschtitz in Bohemia. Even secular knowledge began to spread in Austria, as can be seen from the physicians Abraham Kisch, the teacher of Mendelssohn, and Jonas Jeitteles (17351800), who had studied medicine in Halle.
From
the Emancipation Edict of Joseph. II. Revolution of 1848 Under Maria Theresa's son and successor, Joseph II. (1780-90), a new era began for the Austrian Jews. Joseph was an admirer of Voltaire and a disciple of the school of enlightenment, and he, therefore, adopted an attitude toward the Jews differing from that of his mother and considered it his duty to improve their condition. One of the first acts of his government was the abrogation of all the laws requiring the Jews to wear a distinctive dress (Oct. 21, 1781). The enlightenment (" Auf klarung ") of the Jews was one of Joseph's cherished plans. To this end he demanded that the Jews should assimilate themselves
to
the
to their surroundings, adopt the language of the country, and establish schools according to the plan of modern pedagogy (" Normalschulen "), that they should be allowed to enter all high schools and universities (which, as he expressly states, had been at no time directly prohibited), to lease lands for agricultural purposes (if they worked it with Jewish hands), to engage in all mechanical trades, arts, and wholesale commerce (Oct. 19, 1781). He abolished the poll-tax (Dec. 19, 1781), directed the authorities to treat the Jews like fellow-men ("Nebenmenschen "), and commanded that Jewish children in the public schools should also receive proper consideration. Joseph's views are most clearly expressed in what is called the Toleranzpatent (Jan. 2, 1782). He introduces this law with the statement that it is his aim to permit all his subjects, without distinction as to creed and nationality, to participate in the welfare and freedom of his government and, although the restrictions on residence in the other provinces and the prohibition to reside in Lower Austria are expressly maintained, the law breathes the spirit of
The specific ecclesiastic restrictions, a new era. dating from the time of the Vienna council, prohibiting Jews from being abroad before noon on Sundays and Catholic holy days, and from
Beginning of a
New
Era.
amusement, are abolalso compelled the Jews
gated, and that the Jews be again declared crown vassals (" Kammerknechte ") whose position de-
pended solely on the good-will of the monarch. Leopold replied evasively that the times were too troublous to allow him to take any decisive steps Francis II. (1792-1835), Leopold's son and successor, reigned during the most critical period of Austria's history. He was a man of narrow views, a typical Philistine; and his conception of the political and economic situation of the Jews was in harmony with his general policy. When, in 1793, Baron von Saurau, one of the highest officials, made a motion to abolish a special department of in the matter.
the police, the " Judenamt," an invidious distinction against the Jews, the emperor agreed that the department should be called a commission. Economic
and
social restrictions
ished.
He
assume fixed family names (1787) and to serve in the army in each
—
case the first instance of the kind in Europe. The short reign of Leopold II. (1790-92), brother and successor of Joseph, was too uneventful to leave any traces in the history of the Austrian Jews but it may be mentioned that upon his ascent to the throne the bishops presented a petition asking that the laws of Joseph II. relating to the Jews be abro-
were numerous.
The
princi-
ple of improving the condition of the Jews by opening to them new ways of activitj', as Joseph II. had intended, was given up. Agriculture, which Jo-
seph
II.
endeavored to introduce among them, was They were prohibited from farming rural
restricted.
Only in the case of the estates of nobleproperty. ("Landtafliehe Outer") was an exception made (March 29, 1793); and even then hereditary tenancy or acquisition was prohibited. Similarly, a Jew
men
could foreclose a mortgage on real estate only under the condition that he should not buy it or take it under his administration (Oct. 23, 1816, and July 20, 1827).
stricted:
The Jews of Vienna were especial]}' reThe emperor wrote with great indignation '
to one of his ministers stating that
he had heard that
Jews bought houses in the names of Christians, and that this scandal ("Unfug") would not be tolerated (May 27, 1814). A law of 1804
the Viennese
prohibited dealing in saltpeter; one of 1814, in salt Although Simon von Lammel, a favorite of the emperor, petitioned to have the last-mentioned act repealed, the emperor refused (1819). law of 1818 (repeated in 1829) prohibited Jews from establishing themselves as druggists; only one exception being made; namely, in favor of Michael Perl, the son of Joseph Perl, whose father had done good service in the cause of education among In 1802 it was decreed that the Jews of Galicia. thenceforth no Jew should obtain a "Toleranz," or
and grain.
A
grant, to reside in Vienna, which law was later amended in favor of the wealthiest. The law that Jews should not keep Christian domestics, dating
back to the Council of Vienna, 1267, was repeatedly renewed between 1803 and 1817. Typical for the condition of the Jews and the policy of the authorities is the case of Abraham Heimann and his family, natives of Bavaria, who during the French occupation (1809)
visiting places of
to
Austria
had settled in Laibach, whence the Jews had been expelled since 1515. As soon
as the Vienna congress (1815) restored the former conditions, Heimann reHeimann. ceived an order of expulsion, and until 1848 he had to fight in the courts for The the most natural rights of a human being. highly interesting details of this struggle are described by a member of the family in " Allg. Zeit.
Case of
Abraham
Isaac Samuel Reggio, et seq. the French occupation had been professor at the Lycee in his native town, Gorice, was
des Jud." 1849, pp. 41
who during
