From the last decades of the nineteenth century through the late
1930s, the West Bohemian spa towns of Carlsbad, Franzensbad, and
Marienbad were fashionable destinations for visitors wishing to
"take a cure"-to drink the waters, bathe in the mud, be treated by
the latest X-ray, light, or gas therapies, or simply enjoy the
respite afforded by elegant parks and comfortable lodgings. These
were sociable and urbane places, settings for celebrity sightings,
match-making, and stylish promenading. Originally the haunt of
aristocrats, the spa towns came to be the favored summer resorts
for the emerging bourgeoisie. Among the many who traveled there, a
very high proportion were Jewish. In Next Year in Marienbad, Mirjam
Zadoff writes the social and cultural history of Carlsbad,
Franzensbad, and Marienbad as Jewish spaces. Secular and religious
Jews from diverse national, cultural, and social backgrounds
mingled in idyllic and often apolitical-seeming surroundings.
During the season, shops sold Yiddish and Hebrew newspapers, kosher
kitchens were opened, and theatrical presentations, concerts, and
public readings catered to the Jewish clientele. Yet these same
resorts were situated in a region of growing hostile nationalisms,
and they were towns that might turn virulently anti-Semitic in the
off season. Next Year in Marienbad draws from memoirs and letters,
newspapers and maps, novels and postcards to create a compelling
and engaging portrait of Jewish presence and cultural production in
the years between the fin de siecle and the Second World War.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
