Czechs, Germans, Jes National Identity and the Jes of Bohemia [Hardcover]

The phenomenon of national identities, always a key issue in the modern history of Bohemian Jewry, was particularly complex because of the marginal differences that existed between the available choices. Considerable overlap was evident in the programs of the various national movements and it was possible to change ones national identity or even to opt for more than one such identity without necessarily experiencing any far-reaching consequences in everyday life. Based on many hitherto unknown archival sources from the Czech Republic, Israel and Austria, the authors research reveals the inner dynamic of each of the national movements and maps out the three most important constructions of national identity within Bohemian Jewry  the German-Jewish, the Czech-Jewish and the Zionist. This book provides a needed framework for understanding the rich history of German- and Czech-Jewish politics and culture in Bohemia and is a notable contribution to the historiography of Bohemian, Czechoslovak and central European Jewry.

KateYina apkov?is a research fellow at the Institute of Contemporary History, Prague, and teaches Modern Jewish History at Charles University and NYU in Prague. With Michal Frankl she is the co-author ofNejist? ?to1iat,a book about Czechoslovakia and refugees from Nazi Germany (2008, in German 2012).

Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2012

In her well-researched volume, apkov??uses a broad range of archival and published sources and shows a mastery of the secondary literature, including theoretical materials& Subtly argued and effectively based in the real-life experience of individuals, this book is a fine contribution to the study and understanding of central European Jewry. Fluidly translated; 20 well-chosen illustrations. Highly recommended. Choice

apkov? manages skillfully to placlS°