Full Description
This book documents the physical aspects of the lives of Hungarian Jews in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the way they looked, the kind of neighborhoods and apartments they lived in, and the places where they worked. The many historical photographs—there is at least one picture per page—and related text offers a virtual cross section of Hungarian society, a diverse group of the poor, the middle-class, and the wealthy. Regardless of whether they lived integrated within the majority society or in separate communities, whether they were assimilated Jews or Hasidim, they were an important and integral part of the nation. We have surprisingly few detailed accounts of their lifestyles—the world knows more about the circumstances of their deaths than about the way they lived. Much like piecing together an ancient sculpture from tiny shards found in an excavation, Koerner tries to reconstruct the many diverse lifestyles using fragmentary information and surviving photos.
Contents
Introduction The Diversity of Hungarian Jewish Lifestyles The Three Aspects of Lifestyles Selected for Examination The Structure of This Book Other Characteristics of Hungarian Jewish Lifestyles The Group of People, the Period, and the Geographic Entity That are the Subject of This Book Old Photos as Records of the Way People Lived The Advantages and Limitations of Describing a Culture Through Pictures The Sources of Photos Historical Overview Hungarian Jews in the Second Half of the 19th and First Half of the 20th Centuries 1. What They Looked Like The Way Hungarian Jews Looked in the Decades Before 1900 The Orthodox and Hassidim in the Carpathian Regions Rabbis' Clothing, Beards, and Moustaches The Way Hungarian Jews Looked Between 1900 and 1940 2. Where They Lived Jewish Neighborhoods in Budapest The Apartments, Villas, and Palaces of Budapest Jews Jewish Neighborhoods, Houses, Apartments, and Mansions in Provincial Towns and Villages 3. Where They Worked Epilogue Acknowledgements Selected Bibliography The Sources of the Pictures Index
