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Barnato Barnett

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

the Assembly the cause of the Jews, and joined his those of Mirabeau to carry his followers in their favor. On Dec. 23, 1789, he delivered a great •discourse, defending the Jews against the attacks made at the tribune by the abbe Muray and the bishop of Nancy, both of whom endeavored by all

«fl'orts to

means to check the complete emancipation of the Jews. Barnave contributed on this occasion in great measure to the final triumph of justice. Bibliography: Leon Kahn, Les Juifs de Pari* Pendant Revolution, D-

p.

la

23; Gratz, Gesch. d'erjuden, 3ded., x. 190.

BARN

I.

BK.

AY, LTJDWIG German actor; born at Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 12, 1842. He was the son of the secretary of the Jewish congregation at that

Barnay was destined for the building place.

but induced his father to send him to Vienna to study for the stage under Adolf Sonnenthal. Though but trade,

fifteen years of age,

he

made

so good an impression on Sonnenthal that the latter took him

charge. For some time Barnay devoted himself to study in the polytechnic school but in



curriculum proved irksome, and he finally its

Ludwig Barnay.

gave

all his

attention

to histrionic studies. his son's course, disowned

His father, angered by him. In 1860 Barnay, then eighteen years old, went to Trautenau, Bohemia, and made his debut with the local company under the name of " Lacroix " as Baron von Ileeren in Topfer's "Zurftcksetzung." Although he made a fiasco, the management allowed him to play in "Tische und Sesseln," in which he acquitted himself with more credit. When the company went to Braunau, Bohemia, Barnay accompanied it, receiving five gulden and fifty-one kreutzers (82.67) for his work during June and July. Next he headed a company of "barnstormers" which played in small towns in Moravia and AusWhen the tour proved a financial failtrian Silesia. ure, Barnay returned to his home and became reconThis proved the beginning of ciled to his father. his real career, for he was asked to appear at a benefit, at which he did so well (under his own name) as Prince Leopold in Hersch's" Anna-Liese," that Heinrich Laube invited him in 1863 to become a member Barnay reof the Vienna Burgtheater ensemble. fused this, however, declaring himself as yet unfit Instead, he went to Mayence, where for the work. he played minor r61es for a time, returning to Vienna to appear at the Burgtheater as Lntloaci in MosenLater he played thal's "Deutsche KomQdianten. " Karl Moor in Schiller's "Rauber," and Lord Rochester. In 1864 he played at Prague, and in 1865 at Riga, where he made his debut as Faust and Tell and as Orestes in Goethe's "Iphigenie auf Tauris." His next appearance was at Mayence in 1866, then at Erfurt, and in 1867 at the Stadttheater of Leipsic.

A ) ear later he appeared at Weimar with the Meiuinger company, playing Schiller in "Karlsschuler," and leading parts in other plays. Graf In 1870 Barnay joined the Stadttheater in Frankfort-on-t he-Main, where he remained for five years. It was during this time that he accomplished his greatest service to the German stage the convening of the stage-congress at Weimar July 17, 1871, which, on the day following., organized the alliance of German stage associates under the name of " Genossenschaft Dcutscher Buhnenangehoriger," which welded into one body the hitherto semi-antagonistic players, authors, and managers. So greatly was Barnay 's share in this undertaking appreciated, that in 1872 an address of thanks, signed by four thousand actors, was presented to him. From 1875 to 1880 Barnay held the position of stage-director of the Stadttheater in Hamburg, although in the interim he starred at the Hof theater in Stuttgart (1873), at Munich, Frankfort, and Berlin, appearing also with the Meiningers. In 1883 he became one of the founders of the Deutsche Theater in Berlin, but two years later resigned to convert the old Operetten-Walhalla-Theater into a playhouse of his own, which he named the "Berliner Theater."

&«,

—

Here he remained until

1894,

when he

retired

from

active participation in affairs of the stage. Barnay played also in London and New York, at both places duplicating his German successes. Opinions as to Barnay 's artistic standing in his profession are unanimous so far as German critics are concerned. By them he has been acclaimed a histrionic genius, possessed of versatility, intensity, and emotional power of the first order. Judged by the standards of the English-speaking stage, however, Barnay belongs to the declamatory school of two generations ago. But in r61es such as Uriel

and Moor, Barnay is undoubtedly good. His a noble impersonation but his Marc Antony savors too much of the elocutionary school. Other parts in which he acquitted himself with credit are Graf Waldemar, Essex, Othello, Hamlet, Kean, and Ar/mtft Tell is



Wallenstein.

Bibliography: Leipsic, III. Zeitung, Jan. 3, 1880, p. 15; The Theatre (new series), iii. 344-340; Kohut, Bei'ilhmte Israelitisehe MHmier und Frauen, pp. 191-198; Meyer, Konvermtionx-Lcxilion.

E. Ms.

s.

BARKTETT,

ABTEH LOEB



Dayyan in Lon-

locally known as " Rabbi Aryeh Loeb " born at Krotoschin, in the grand duchy of Posen, in 1797; died in London Feb. 10, 1878. For many 3'ears his father had been head of the "bet din " of his native place and he himself was a pupil of the eminent rabbi Akiba Eger of Posen. Jointly with Rabbi Aaron, Barnett discharged the duties of dayyan in London for nearly half a century, causing him to become one of the best -known figures in the London community. He was a rabbi of the Orthodox stamp, and an earnest student of the Talmud. About five years before his death he was stricken with blindness. Bibliography: Jewish, Chronicle, Feb. 15, 1878; Jewish World, same date, G. L. j.

don







BARNETT,

JACOB: Hebrew teacher at OxHe gave instruction to the stuford about 1613. dents, under the direction of Richard Killye, regius