Dancing to the Court Jew's Tune: Joseph 'Jud' Süss Oppenheimer and the Politics of the Ballroom

Joseph "Jud" Süß Oppenheimer was the most famous eighteenth-century court Jew, and one of the most prominent Jewish figures in German literary history. This article argues that the many literary and film adaptations of Süß's life use masquerade ball scenes to convey his privileged yet...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Eighteenth-century studies 2020-06, Vol.53 (4), p.607-628
Main Author: Gollance, Sonia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
18th century
20th century
British & Irish literature
Culture
Defoe, Daniel (1660-1731)
English literature
Film adaptations
German literature
Jewish people
Mercantilism
Motion pictures
Participation
Politics
Power
Printed materials
Sexuality
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Summary:Joseph "Jud" Süß Oppenheimer was the most famous eighteenth-century court Jew, and one of the most prominent Jewish figures in German literary history. This article argues that the many literary and film adaptations of Süß's life use masquerade ball scenes to convey his privileged yet vulnerable position at the Württemberg court. Süß's participation in these court festivities blurs the social boundaries between himself and Christian elites, and reveals Süß's perceived complicity with the darker side of these entertainments. Ball scenes are a much more pivotal plot element of texts about Süß than has previously been acknowledged, which reveal anxieties about Jewish male sexuality and use of power.
ISSN:0013-2586
1086-315X
1086-315X
DOI:10.1353/ecs.2020.0068