L’ebreo Süss seguito da La mendicante del ponte delle arti – “The Jew Süss and The Beggar Woman of the Bridge of Arts” by Wilhelm Hauff, Italian translation by M. Penso and A. Hamburger, published by Delta, Milan, 1930.
An antisemitic Italian edition of The Jew Süss (L’ebreo Süss), a legend loosely based on the life of the Jewish banker Joseph Süß Oppenheimer, an 18th-century historical Jewish figure who served as the financial advisor to the Duke of Württemberg, incorporating antisemitic elements. Hauff adapted the story originally written by Lion Feuchtwanger, giving it an antisemitic tone aligned with accusations against Jews regarding control of global wealth and exploitation of society.
Joseph Süß Oppenheimer (derogatorily known as “Jude Süss”), a Jewish financier in 18th-century Germany, served as the financial advisor to Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg. Following the prince’s death, he was executed under dubious circumstances. The unprecedented rise of Jew Süss from ghetto life to the pinnacle of courtly society was remarkable, given the severe restrictions imposed on Jews. As a result, his story became the foundation for many antisemitic works. In 1827, the novella The Jew Süss by Wilhelm Hauff was first published, relying primarily on oral tradition and later interpretations. Presented here is the 1930 Italian translation, published together with The Beggar Woman of the Bridge of Arts.
Rare. Only three copies listed in the WorldCat global library catalog.
295 [6] pp. Slight cracks at the upper part of the cover. Good condition.
