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From Diff
erence to Similarity | 149
Language as an Indication of Jewishness
In Th e Apostle of Schottenfeld, Mr. and Mrs. Goldmann correspond to a large ex-
tent to the image that many Viennese non-Jews had of Jews who lived in Vienna,
as well as to the prevailing view within Judaism regarding “assimilated” Jews.
We see this image exemplifi ed in the play’s satirical depiction of Mr. and Mrs.
Goldmann’s eff orts to adapt to their non-Jewish social environment. In doing so,
they and their daughter appear to ignore religious characteristics of Jewishness,
viewing them as unimportant. Th
is attitude is particularly clear in their disre-
gard of religious dietary laws. When Esther comes home from Father Lorenz,
she fi nds her mother in the kitchen preparing Gra mmelknödel (dumplings made
with pork fat).1 Esther calls them Grie
benknödel (another word for dumplings
prepared with pork fat), but her mother corrects her because she thinks Gram-
m eln (pork cracklings) is the more appropriate term. Th
e ensuing debate between
mother and daughter thus zeroes in on the socially accepted name of the dish,
rather than the question of whether Grammeln or Grieb eln are compatible with
a Jewish religious way of life. Th
e Goldmann family members are still noticeably
uncertain about their new lifestyle and look for guidance in everyday life. Th
e use
of language seems to be suited to them. It contains codes that help to hide their
Jewishness. Th
e debate between mother and daughter becomes comical, thus
provoking the opposite of the intended eff ect, when Mr. Goldmann interferes in
the situation. He asserts that neither the word Grammeln nor Griebeln is import-
ant, because they aren’t called Knöde l, but rather kneydl ekh.
Kneydlekh is the plural form of the word kneydl (dumpling) in Yiddish. Mr.
Goldmann’s use of the term reveals his familiarity with the Yiddish language,
thus allowing us to draw conclusions about his Jewishness. Although he endeav-
ors to conceal any hint of Jewishness, he is obviously not immune to linguistic
lapses that expose it. In this scene, Hirsch evokes a socially widespread idea re-
garding Jews. According to the stereotype, Jews attempt to keep their “origin”
a secret, only to be undermined mainly by linguistic slippages that give them
away.2 Whether it be their intonation, syntactical particularities, or the use of
specifi
c terms that mark them as Jewish, Jews are ostensibly unable to conceal
their ethnic background. Th e Apostle of Schottenfeld also depicts this aspect in the
scene in which Father Lorenz visits the Goldmanns in their home. As a gesture of
hospitality, they off
er him a garnished pig’s head as a meal.3 No other moment in
the play better expresses the family’s endeavor to camoufl
age their Jewishness. On
the other hand, Mrs. Goldmann is so surprised by the priest’s visit that she briefl
y
loses her composure and exclaims “Shema Yisrael.” Despite all their attempts at
assimilation, a single impulse is suffi
cient for calling attention to their connection
to Jewish culture.
In this context, language reveals itself to be a telltale medium. “Jewish” speech
seemingly cannot be eradicated, in spite of all eff
orts to the contrary. Th
e treach-
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Entangled Entertainers
Jews and Popular Culture in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna
- Title
- Entangled Entertainers
- Subtitle
- Jews and Popular Culture in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna
- Author
- Klaus Hödl
- Publisher
- Berghahn Books
- Date
- 2019
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-1-78920-031-7
- Size
- 14.86 x 23.2 cm
- Pages
- 196
- Categories
- Geschichte Vor 1918
- International
Table of contents
- Introduction 1
- 1. Jews in Viennese Popular Culture around 1900 as Research Topic 13
- 2. Jewish Volkssänger and Musical Performers in Vienna around 1900 44
- 3. Jewishness and the Viennese Volkssänger 78
- 4. Jewish Spaces of Retreat at the Turn of the Twentieth Century 121
- 5. From Difference to Similarity 148
- Conclusion 163
- Bibliography 166
- Index 179