Ludwig Lewisohn
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Lewisohn was an outspoken critic of American Jewish assimilation, novelist and translator, known for his novel The Island Within. He wrote several autobiographies, translated German literature
and wrote the preface to the first English language edition of Otto Rank
's seminal work Art and Artist. He also authored several works on Judaica and Zionism
.
, Germany
, and immigrated to the United States in 1890 with his parents. The family settled in Charleston, South Carolina
. Though his mother was the daughter of a rabbi, the family converted to Christianity. In his youth, Lewisohn was an active Methodist. After graduating with honors from the College of Charleston
, he went to Columbia University
in 1902 to work on a doctorate. He received the degree of A.M.
in 1903. In 1904 he was told by his advisers that a Jew would never be hired to teach English literature at an American university. The bitter irony in this advice led Lewisohn to return to Judaism and he became an outspoken critic of American Jewish assimilation. In 1948 Lewisohn was among the founding faculty members of Brandeis University
, where he taught until his death.
It was Lewisohn who first translated Franz Werfel
's The Song of Bernadette
into English.
Lewisohn died in 1955, at the age of 73, in Miami Beach, Florida
.
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
and wrote the preface to the first English language edition of Otto Rank
Otto Rank
Otto Rank was an Austrian psychoanalyst, writer, teacher and therapist. Born in Vienna as Otto Rosenfeld, he was one of Sigmund Freud's closest colleagues for 20 years, a prolific writer on psychoanalytic themes, an editor of the two most important analytic journals, managing director of Freud's...
's seminal work Art and Artist. He also authored several works on Judaica and Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
.
Biography
Lewisohn was born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and immigrated to the United States in 1890 with his parents. The family settled in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. Though his mother was the daughter of a rabbi, the family converted to Christianity. In his youth, Lewisohn was an active Methodist. After graduating with honors from the College of Charleston
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States...
, he went to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1902 to work on a doctorate. He received the degree of A.M.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1903. In 1904 he was told by his advisers that a Jew would never be hired to teach English literature at an American university. The bitter irony in this advice led Lewisohn to return to Judaism and he became an outspoken critic of American Jewish assimilation. In 1948 Lewisohn was among the founding faculty members of Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, where he taught until his death.
It was Lewisohn who first translated Franz Werfel
Franz Werfel
Franz Werfel was an Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet.- Biography :Born in Prague , Werfel was the first of three children of a wealthy manufacturer of gloves and leather goods. His mother, Albine Kussi, was the daughter of a mill owner...
's The Song of Bernadette
The Song of Bernadette (novel)
The Song of Bernadette is a 1942 novel that tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who, from February to July 1858 in Lourdes, France, reported eighteen visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The novel was written by Franz Werfel and was published in 1942...
into English.
Lewisohn died in 1955, at the age of 73, in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
.
Works
- The Island Within (1928)
- Up Stream (1922)
- Israel (1925)
- The Case of Mr. Crump (1926)
- Expression in America (1931)
- The Last Days of Shylock (1931)
- Trumpet of Jubilee (1937)
- Rebirth (1935)
- The Broken Snare (1908)
- A Night in Alexandria (1909)
- German Style, An Introduction to the Study of German Prose (1910)
- The Modern Drama (New York, 1914)
- Rebirth, A Book of Modern Jewish Thought (New York, 1935)