Ariel Silbert

Jewish Bodies, German Bodies Ariel Silbert

This book examines the philosophical and aesthetic sources informing the emergence of late 19th century German-Jewish Körperkultur, specifically as it was iterated through the gymnastics movement. Our emphasis is upon ideas and iconography relating to the mind and the body, and their socio-political significances. An analysis of 19th century identity, both German and German-Jewish, we examine how the German-Jewish gymnastics movement responded to fin-de-siècle German anti-Semitism.