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Leopold Zunz: Scholarship and Revolution

Exhibition

Portrait of Leopold Zunz, at the age of 49
Portrait of Leopold Zunz, at the age of 49 By Gustav Heidenreich. Reproduction of Oil painting, 1843. Courtesy of The National Library of Israel. This portrait of Leopold Zunz shows the founder of Wissenschaft des Judentums at the peak of his life a few years after the publication of his major works and his political engagement during the 1848 revolution. The portrait was painted by the Berlin genre and historical painter Gustav Heidenreich, later known for his paintings of Nordic Gods in the New Museum in Berlin.
Etwas über die rabbinische Litteratur, wide
Etwas über die rabbinische Litteratur [On Rabbinical Literature] by Leopold Zunz, Berlin, 1818. With this slim volume, Leopold Zunz established the academic field of Jewish Studies, advocating for the study of history as the key to Jewish freedom and equality.
Calling Cards from the Zunz Collection
On display will also be a selection of calling cards from visitors to Leopold and Adelheid Zunz. The cards give a vivid impression of the extensive network of scholars, friends, and family members who visited the couple. LBI Archives, Leopold and Adelheid Zunz Collection, AR 3648, Series II. The collection contains more than 800 visiting cards
Portrait of Leopold Zunz at age 70
Portrait of Leopold Zunz at age 70. Reproduction of a lithograph, Berlin, 1864 Inscription: "Dr. L. Zunz. On the occasion of his 70th birthday, August 10, 1864." Art Collection of the Leo Baeck Institute, 78.426.
Leopold and Adelheid Zunz: An Account in Letters, 1815–1885
Leopold and Adelheid Zunz: An Account in Letters,1815–1885. Edited by Nahum N. Glatzer. London: Published for the Institute by the East and West Library, 1958 Library of the Leo Baeck Institute, BM 755 Z8 A4.
Dates
Tue, Nov 1, 2022 – Tue, Mar 28, 2023
Venue
Center for Jewish History (map)
15 W. 16th St.
New York, NY 10011

Jewish Studies programs around the world acknowledge the year 1818 as the founding moment of their discipline. That year, Leopold Zunz published his essay Etwas über die rabbinische Litteratur (“On Rabbinical Literature”), which launched the movement for a Wissenschaft des Judentums – a Science of Judaism.

Zunz established a secular and interdisciplinary method of scholarship to investigate Jewish history, culture, and life in all its forms. In contrast to traditional Jewish scholarship rooted in the study of religious texts, Wissenschaft meant applying the tools of history, archeology, and other modern sciences to the study of Jewish history and culture. Zunz’s methodology also amounted to an appeal for political and religious reform. By the time of his death in 1886, his work and vision had given rise to a discourse within Judaism that transformed Jewish practice; the Reform, Conservative, and Modern Orthodox movements all have their roots in the Wissenschaft. The Wissenschaft also gave the fight for Jewish political emancipation its intellectual undergirding, and few scholars were more engaged in that fight than Zunz.

Learn more about Zunz's legacy and the Wissenschaft at our new exhibit, Leopold Zunz: Scholarship and Revolution. For Gallery hours see Visit LBI.