Gabriel Riesser
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Riesser was a German
politician and lawyer.
s; yet his father chose to work as a secretary at the Jewish law court of Altona before he finally became a merchant in Hamburg
. After his education at the renowned grammar school Johanneum, Gabriel Riesser went to Heidelberg
and Kiel
, where he studied law from 1824 to 1828, writing his doctorate dissertation in Heidelberg. He became a leading advocate of Jewish emancipation
. He had himself suffered discrimination because of his religion: in Heidelberg and Jena he was denied the position of a university lecturer, in Hamburg in 1829 he was not allowed to practice as a lawyer. In his application he had recurred to a privilege of equal treatment that had been granted during the French occupation. His application, however, was refused because he formally was no citizen (which he as a Jew could not become) of the city of Hamburg.
As a reaction Riesser in 1831 published an essay "Stellung der Bekenner des mosaischen Glaubens in Deutschland" (On the Position of Confessors of the Jewish Faith in Germany) and founded the journal "Der Jude, periodische Blätter für Religions- und Gewissensfreiheit" (The Jew, Periodical for Freedom of Religion and Thought) in 1832. He also wrote a note on the emancipation of Jews for the parliament of the German state Baden
in 1833. From 1836 onwards he composed the "Jüdische Briefe" (Jewish Letters) in Bockenheim near Frankfurt am Main, which were subsequently published in Berlin in 1840-42.
Riesser was chairman of the Hamburg Temple
Association from 1840-43.
In 1840 the Senate of Hamburg (city-state government) passed a law stating that "künftighin auch ein oder zwei Mitglieder der hiesigen israelitischen Gemeinde, wenn sie sonst dazu qualifiziert wären, Notare werden könnten" (in future also one or two members of the local Jewish community might become notaries, if they otherwise were duly qualified). This change of mind of the senate was brought about by the death of the Jewish notary Meyer Israel Bresselau
, who had been installed during French annexation in 1811. Riesser applied for the vacant position. From 1840 to 1857 he practised as a notary
in Hamburg.
where he was vice-president. He was elected for the constituency of Saxe-Lauenburg. Riesser was a member of the Kaiserdeputation which offered the Prussian King Frederich William IV
the German crown.
of the "Paulskirchenverfassung" (Paulskirche constitution) came into effect in Hamburg on 21 February 1849, Riesser was able to become citizen of Hamburg, a rare and dear franchise at that time, which the bulk of the inhabitants did not hold. In 1859 the city appointed him "Obergerichtsrat" (chief judge at the supreme state court). He was the first Jewish judge in Germany. In 1861 the Bürgerschaft of Hamburg (city-state parliament) elected Isaac Wolffson, Riesser's colleague and partisan in the struggle for Jewish emancipation
, its president, becoming the first Jewish president of a German parliament.
Riesser was buried at the Jewish Grindel cemetery in Hamburg. When the Nazis ordered its demolition in 1937, the Ashkenazi Congregation transferred the graves, including his, to the Jewish section of Ohlsdorf Cemetery
in Hamburg.
There is a street named after Riesser In Hamburg-Hamm.
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
politician and lawyer.
Life
Both of Riesser's grandfathers were rabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s; yet his father chose to work as a secretary at the Jewish law court of Altona before he finally became a merchant in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. After his education at the renowned grammar school Johanneum, Gabriel Riesser went to Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, where he studied law from 1824 to 1828, writing his doctorate dissertation in Heidelberg. He became a leading advocate of Jewish emancipation
Jewish Emancipation
Jewish emancipation was the external and internal process of freeing the Jewish people of Europe, including recognition of their rights as equal citizens, and the formal granting of citizenship as individuals; it occurred gradually between the late 18th century and the early 20th century...
. He had himself suffered discrimination because of his religion: in Heidelberg and Jena he was denied the position of a university lecturer, in Hamburg in 1829 he was not allowed to practice as a lawyer. In his application he had recurred to a privilege of equal treatment that had been granted during the French occupation. His application, however, was refused because he formally was no citizen (which he as a Jew could not become) of the city of Hamburg.
As a reaction Riesser in 1831 published an essay "Stellung der Bekenner des mosaischen Glaubens in Deutschland" (On the Position of Confessors of the Jewish Faith in Germany) and founded the journal "Der Jude, periodische Blätter für Religions- und Gewissensfreiheit" (The Jew, Periodical for Freedom of Religion and Thought) in 1832. He also wrote a note on the emancipation of Jews for the parliament of the German state Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
in 1833. From 1836 onwards he composed the "Jüdische Briefe" (Jewish Letters) in Bockenheim near Frankfurt am Main, which were subsequently published in Berlin in 1840-42.
Riesser was chairman of the Hamburg Temple
Hamburg Temple
The Hamburg Temple was the synagogue of the Jewish reform movement in Hamburg from 1818 to 1938. It was the first reform synagogue in Germany....
Association from 1840-43.
In 1840 the Senate of Hamburg (city-state government) passed a law stating that "künftighin auch ein oder zwei Mitglieder der hiesigen israelitischen Gemeinde, wenn sie sonst dazu qualifiziert wären, Notare werden könnten" (in future also one or two members of the local Jewish community might become notaries, if they otherwise were duly qualified). This change of mind of the senate was brought about by the death of the Jewish notary Meyer Israel Bresselau
Meyer Israel Bresselau
Meyer Israel Bresselau was a founding member and chairman of the Hamburg Temple, one of the first Jewish reform congregations in Germany....
, who had been installed during French annexation in 1811. Riesser applied for the vacant position. From 1840 to 1857 he practised as a notary
Civil law notary
Civil-law notaries, or Latin notaries, are lawyers of noncontentious private civil law who draft, take, and record legal instruments for private parties, provide legal advice and give attendance in person, and are vested as public officers with the authentication power of the State...
in Hamburg.
Politics
In 1848 Riesser was a member of the revolutionary Frankfurt ParliamentFrankfurt Parliament
The Frankfurt Assembly was the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany. Session was held from May 18, 1848 to May 31, 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main...
where he was vice-president. He was elected for the constituency of Saxe-Lauenburg. Riesser was a member of the Kaiserdeputation which offered the Prussian King Frederich William IV
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
the German crown.
Legacy
When the civil rightsCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
of the "Paulskirchenverfassung" (Paulskirche constitution) came into effect in Hamburg on 21 February 1849, Riesser was able to become citizen of Hamburg, a rare and dear franchise at that time, which the bulk of the inhabitants did not hold. In 1859 the city appointed him "Obergerichtsrat" (chief judge at the supreme state court). He was the first Jewish judge in Germany. In 1861 the Bürgerschaft of Hamburg (city-state parliament) elected Isaac Wolffson, Riesser's colleague and partisan in the struggle for Jewish emancipation
Jewish Emancipation
Jewish emancipation was the external and internal process of freeing the Jewish people of Europe, including recognition of their rights as equal citizens, and the formal granting of citizenship as individuals; it occurred gradually between the late 18th century and the early 20th century...
, its president, becoming the first Jewish president of a German parliament.
Riesser was buried at the Jewish Grindel cemetery in Hamburg. When the Nazis ordered its demolition in 1937, the Ashkenazi Congregation transferred the graves, including his, to the Jewish section of Ohlsdorf Cemetery
Ohlsdorf Cemetery
-External links:* *...
in Hamburg.
There is a street named after Riesser In Hamburg-Hamm.