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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

But, on the whole, the policy of the government for progress. Thus an order of June 4, 1841, permitted the possession by Jews of rural estate when they worked the farms themselves and the restrictions (dating from the beginning of the eighteenth century) against the number of Jewish marriages, and which even Joseph II. would not remove, were more liberally interpreted. Teachers and rabbis were permitted to marry, even when there was no vacancy in the number of legally permitted families. Similar favors were bestowed on manu-

made



on the owners of large estates, and on prominent scholars. The need of a revision in the

facturers,

legal status of the

Jews

is

strikingly illustrated

by

the fact that in 1847, when the famous composer Meyerbeer visited Vienna, the government had to issue an order declaring him to be a " cavalier " and not a Jew, so that he might be exempt from the tax which every non-resident Jew had to pay when visiting the city. One great mark of progress was the abolition of the Jewish Oath (Aug. 18, 1846), in which matter Austria preceded most of the German states. Another important step was the law of March 24, 1841, for Galicia, which promised certain improvements for the Jews of that province who should dress in European costume and Signs of acquire a knowledge of either German

Progress,

or Polish.

took a great interest in the reform of public worship authorities of Prague ostentatiously took part in the dedication of the new " Tempel f ur Geregelten Gottesdienst " in that city, which was dedicated on the emperor's birthday, April 19, 1837. Similarly it encouraged the endeavors to induce the Jews to devote themselves to agriculture and mechanical pursuits. These endeavors are treated be-

and the

low under Culture. From the Revolution of 1848 to the Present Time The revolution in France awakened an echo everywhere in Europe. In Vienna tumults occurred March 13, and one of the first victims of

the

was a Jewish student, Heinrich shot by the troops. Legislation the Jews was at once revised in a liberal

revolution

Spitzer,

who was

relating to

In the new constitution of April 25 the free exercise of religion was granted; and the special Jewish taxes were abolished Oct. 28. For the first sense.

Jews were appointed e.g., Jacob GoldenVienna and Wolf gang Wessely in Prague,

time in the history of Austria, professors in the universities

thal

Hermann Jellinek was



in both, however, as assistant professors in Semitic languages. Jews took a prominent part in the revolutionary movement. To the first parliament, assembled first in Vienna and later on in Kremsier,

Jewish deputies were elected: Adolph Fischwho had always taken a prominent position, and was one of the most popular men in Vienna Joseph Goldmark, also from Vienna; Abraham Halpern from Stanislau; I. N. Mannheimer, the Vienna preacher, for Brody; and Bar Meisels, rabbi of Cracow, from that city. Another Jew who had taken an active interest in the revolufive

hof,

tionary movement was one of the victims of reaction, when Prince Windischgratz captured Vienna.

shot as a rebel Nov. 23,

1848.

who was too weak to remain at the of the state's ship in such critical times, abdicated, and was replaced by his nephew, the presFerdinand,

helm

ent emperor, Francis Joseph, who, at the age of eighteen, ascended the throne Dec. 2, 1848. The young emperor was soon prevailed upon to adopt a more autocratic policy. The Reichstag of Kremsier was suddenly dissolved, and a constitution, proclaimed by the emperor without the consent of the parliament, was promulgated (" Octroyierte Verfassung ") March 4, 1849. This constitution still retained the principle of religious liberty, and the administrative authorities still interpreted the laws in a liberal sense, the right of the Jews to acquire real estate and the abolition of the restriction on marriages being expressly acknowledged. Signs of reaction were, however not wanting. The clergy agitated against the abolition of Austria's character as a Roman Catholic country, and petitioned (April 18, 1850) the emperor to appoint no Jews to any The population, on the other hand, was also office. unwilling to allow the Jews an extension of their former rights. In cities where they had been excluded, the population -would not have them admitted and in cities where their right of residence

For the same reason the

government established there county rabbinates (" Kreisrabbinate "). The government also

Austria

had been

restricted to certain quarters,

objections were made to their removal Even before into forbidden districts. the constitution of April 25, 1848, had been promulgated there were excesses in Prague, which spread over various parts of the country and assumed very The city of Sternserious proportions in Hungary. berg, Moravia, passed a resolution that at no time should a Jew be given the city's franchise; and the council of Laibach excluded the Jews from the right In Prague the burgomaster to acquire real estate. demanded that the Jewish congregation should prevail upon its members to close the stores which they had rented outside of the ghetto (1849). The government seemed to favor this agitation for, when a Jew applied for a position in the postal service, he was told that he must bring a certificate from the rabbi that he was permitted to write on the SabOfficially the reaction was introduced when bath. the government repealed (Dec. 31, 1851) the consti-

Reaction,



tution of March 4, 1849, although even then it was declared that religious liberty should not be disThis provision, however, had hardly any turbed. As the civil code had provided that practical value. a Jew who married had to show permission from the authorities, and this clause had not been abrogated, the government decided that a Jew who wished to

marry had to bring a special license, a view which changed the former status only in so far as the number of marriages was no longer limited. At the same time the right of the Jews to hold real estate in all parts of the country was suspended, and the prohibition (1817 and 1834) against keeping Christian domestics and against assuming the names of ChrisIn a new tian saints was renewed (Oct. 2, 1853). regulation concerning notaries public (May 21, 1855), the Jews were excluded. In the same spirit in which, under Francis I., the Jews were suspected of conspiring against the government, an order

was