“Decorative Chandelier–Titus”: Polysemantic Framing of Jewish Ritual Objects in Late Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century Germany

Around the world, Jewish Museums showcase Jewish ritual objects produced in Germany during the German Second Empire and the Weimar Republic. Their quality as well as their silver marks bear all the hallmarks of an industrial production, which might explain why they have so far only received little attention. Yet, given the apparent size of productions, we are bound to assume a consumer’s market of commensurate size, raising the question as to how, in which styles, and to whom these objects were advertised and sold. Thus, researching styles and advertising of these products provides us with unique insights in the position, perception, and positioning of Jews in Germany before the Shoah.

I will argue that a comparison between general publications and those specifically addressed to a Jewish audience exhibit a strategy of ethnic marketing of these objects. Besides, catalogues of companies and shops used polysemantic framing by applying different terms to name Jewish ritual objects, e.g. as ‘Jewish Church Silver’ or ‘Titus Chandelier’ for a Hanukkiah. This is more than just using different words as every term carries a distinct meaning, in turn implying how sellers and producers perceived Judaism and how Jewish costumers saw their religion themselves. Similarly, the style chosen to decorate the objects, e.g. historicism, tells a story of the (self-)perception of German Jewry. Furthermore, Jewish ritual objects were sometimes not openly advertised as such, while this might be due to fears of anti-Semitic reactions, it also opens the possibility of a gentile costumer taking a liking to the objects without knowing its religious purpose. These observations lead us to understand the situation of the German Jewry as one marked by ambiguity, caught in between the achievements of emancipation and the vulnerability of this newly gained visibility in public life.