Autograph Letter Signed, Voicing His Support for a Zionist Rabbi, Written the Year He Published "Der Judenstaat" by HERZL, THEODOR

HERZL, THEODOR. (1860-1904). Austrian-Jewish writer and the founder of Zionism; Paris correspondent for the Neue Freie Presse for which Herzl covered the infamous Dreyfus Affair, an event that contributed to his desire to establish a Jewish state. ALS. ("Herzl"). 2pp. 8vo. Vienna, October 3, 1896. On stationery of the Neue Freie Presse. To a doctor. In German with translation.

"Dr. Leopold Goldschmied who is a Rabbi in Mieslitz (Maehren) right now, seeks the position for a rabbi in Floridsdorf. I listened to his trial sermon which I found excellent. The reason why I am so interested in him was his written assurance that he is a Zionist and will work towards our aims. I ask you, therefore, wherever you can to see to it that this man will be nominated. I talked already with some people in Floridsdorf. If you can find out how else I can promote him, please let me know. Please regard this matter as important. I rely on your cooperation according to our last conversation. With Zions greetings…"

Herzl began his career as the Paris correspondent for Neue Freie Presse and, as such, witnessed much anti-Semitism. Most notably, Herzl was strongly affected by the infamous Dreyfus Affair, the 1894 conviction and exile of an innocent Jewish army officer, which Herzl covered for the newspaper. The same year, Herzl wrote his drama, The Ghetto, discussing Jewish-Christians relations, and it was during this period that Herzl became committed to the formation of a Jewish state.

His most influential work, Der Judenstaat, was published in early 1896 and was a practical outline for the realization of a Jewish homeland. The idea of such a reality was heartily embraced by the Diaspora and the First Zionist Congress which met in Basel in 1897 and established the World Zionist Congress under Herzl's direction. Decades after Herzl's death, Israel became a reality with international recognition and support.

Hungarian rabbi Leopold Goldschmied (1867-1935) was a well-known Zionist who, despite our letter indicating that he was seeking a post in the Floridsdorf section of Vienna, made his mark as rabbi of the Austrian manufacturing town of Prossnitz, which hosted one of the largest Jewish congregations in Moravia. Goldschmied authored a number of books and articles including Palästina: ein Tagebuch (Palestine: A Diary), Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes für die Oberclassen der Mittelschulen: von Alexander dem Grossen bis auf unsere Tage (History of the Jewish People for the Upper Classes of Middle Schools: from Alexander the Great to Our Day), and "Geschichte der Juden in Prossnitz," ("History of the Jews in Prossnitz") in the 1929 volume Die Juden und Judengemeinden Mährens in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart: Ein Sammelwerk, edited by Hugo Gold.

Our letter, written the same year as Herzl's masterwork, is penned in purple ink. Fold tear affects two words; several chips along the bottom edge and top corners do not affect the text; in fine condition.