The stigma of names

Between 1812, the year when Jews were granted civil rights by Prussia during its brief period of liberal reforms, and 1933 when the Nazis came to power, certain names - Moses, Mendel, Julius, and others - and surnames - such as Levy, Jakobson, and Goldschmidt - were considered characteristically Jewish, although many were carried by gentiles as well. Some aroused particular repugnance and figured prominently in antisemitic jokes. Dietz Bering traces the frequency with which the bearers of certain names applied to have them changed, and how legislation on name changing affected Jews. Such legislation, originating in the early nineteenth century with a brief attempt at social integration, developed through the century into an outright ban on name changing imposed against people of the Jewish faith or descent. Providing glimpses into the lives of ordinary citizens, Bering deftly reveals the significance of names in guaranteeing social identity and inflicting social stigma. By demonstrating that although antisemitism found political expression only sporadically, it was a potent social force, Bering argues that the Germans' increasing disposition to regard Jews as separate, singled out by their names, adds to our understanding of why the majority of the population later acquiesced in the Nazi persecution of the Jews.