Saphir, Moritz Gottlieb eigentlich Moses Saphir#
Saphir, Moritz Gottlieb (real name: Moses S.), b. Lovas-Bereny near Pest (Budapest, Hungary), Feb. 8, 1795, d. Baden (Lower Austria), Sept. 5, 1858, critic, feature writer, narrative and prose writer. Went to the rabbinical school in Prague, then worked as a journalist in Pest, 1822-1825 wrote for the "Wiener Theaterzeitung", 1825-1834 in Germany, then in Vienna; 1832 converted to Protestantism. 1837 founded the periodical "Der Humorist" (until 1855) which became a dreaded forum for his polemic and witty critiques. Adversary of Nestroy; acquainted with I. F. Castelli.
Editions: Gesammelte Schriften, 4 vols., 1832; Schriften,
26 vols., 1886-1888; Humorist. Schriften, ed. by K. Meyerstein,
4 vols., 1889; Mieder und Leier. Gedankenblitze aus dem
Biedermeier, ed. by M. Barthel, 1978.
Literature#
J. Toury, M. G. S. und K. Beck, in: W. Grab and J. H. Schoeps (eds.), Juden im Vormaerz und in der Revolution von 1848, 1983; OeBL.