Yair Mintsḳer Books

Exploring the transformation of German cities, this book delves into their evolution from fortified walls to open spaces between 1689 and 1866. It examines the socio-political and architectural changes that accompanied this shift, highlighting the impact on urban life and the significance of defortification in shaping modern cityscapes. Through detailed analysis, it reveals how these metamorphoses reflect broader historical trends and the changing perceptions of security and community in urban environments.

New historical insights into one of the most infamous episodes in the history of anti-Semitism Joseph Süss Oppenheimer—“Jew Süss”—is one of the most iconic figures in the history of anti-Semitism. In 1733, Oppenheimer became the “court Jew” of Carl Alexander, the duke of the small German state of Württemberg. When Carl Alexander died unexpectedly, the Württemberg authorities arrested Oppenheimer, put him on trial, and condemned him to death for unspecified “misdeeds.” On February 4, 1738, Oppenheimer was hanged in front of a large crowd just outside Stuttgart. He is most often remembered today through several works of fiction, chief among them a vicious Nazi propaganda movie made in 1940 at the behest of Joseph Goebbels. Investigating conflicting versions of Oppenheimer’s life and death as told by his contemporaries, Yair Mintzker conjures an unforgettable picture of “Jew Süss” in his final days that is at once moving, disturbing, and profound. The Many Deaths of Jew Süss is a masterful work of history and an illuminating parable about Jewish life in the fraught transition to modernity.

Der Hofjude Joseph Süß Oppenheimer, bekannt als »Jud Süß«, ist eine zentrale Figur im Antisemitismus. Yair Mintzker rekonstruiert seine Geschichte durch die Perspektiven seiner Zeitgenossen und zeigt ein bewegendes Bild seiner letzten Tage. Das Werk beleuchtet jüdisches Leben im Übergang zur Moderne und wurde mit dem National Jewish Book Award ausgezeichnet.