German Jewry: Between Hope and Despair provides important interpretations of this tumultuous and conflict-ridden period of 1871 1933 and invites readers to partake in the ongoing debate over modern Jewish identities and cultures. Marked at the outset by emancipation and the emergence of modern anti-Semitism, the period witnessed a profound transformation of Jewish social, political, and religious life, culminating in the renaissance of Jewish cultures on the eve of the Holocaust.

This textbook unites studies that inform our understanding of this historical epoch to this day as well as significant historical revisions. Among the many contributions are texts by Michael Brenner, Willi Goetschel, Marion Kaplan, George L. Mosse, Peter Pulzer, and Till van Rahden.