I, Erzählende Schriften 23, Der Weg ins Freie. Roman (Die Entrüsteten), Seite 350

23. Der Neg ins Freie
box 3/5
A d a. „ C K L1 K A S
The Jeiish Tribune, Junuary 4, 1024
Monthly Magazine Section
Vienna Before the Swastika
ur Schnitzler’s Discussion of Jewish Problems in His Novel The Road to the Open'
NKS to the vigilant zeal of Mr. John S. Sum¬
By GERALD GINSBERG
and his ever-watchful Hunkies of the Society
every possible occasion the objects of his biting, sar¬
castic wit. He likes nothing better than when there
the Suppression of Vice, Dr. Arthur Schnitzler,
4
is a particularly brilliant assemblage present, to come
a, is now more than a name to the American
in and begin talking Niddish, or precipitate a discussion
In much the same manner that fame has
Fecent years to Rabelais, Cabell, Sherwood An¬
upon Zionism, of which he has become an ardent dis¬
ciple (the first Basle Congress took place a vear before
b mention just a few victims of the contempo¬
the opening of the novel). Such antics on the part of
ities committed by our purist-cossack friends,
old Ehrenberg always greatly embarrass the other
nese gentleman was singled out by the puri¬
members of the Ehrenberg family and cause the in¬
uisition for his Dr. Casanova’s Homecoming'
tolerable Oskar with his aristocratic swagger to bite
en.“ Suppression of the works produced the
his lips in mortification and leave the room; where¬
ults: the smut-seeking booboisie hunted out
upon th elder Ehrenberg, satisfied with the effect of his
and undoubtedly gloated over the passages
malice, would also retire, for he never felt at home at
ended the literary sensibilities of those of our
his wife's at homes. The relations between father and
and vice-sniffers who can read; thus instead
son reached a dramatic climax in an incident described
y eyeing the burlesque queens in tights who
in a letter to the Baron from his friend, Heinrich Ber¬
front covers of The Police Gasette, they had
mann, whio wrote:
else to talk about wiien they weren't gath¬
Testerday Oskar passes by the Church of St. Michael
Faternal counsel around the latest edition of
about twelve o'elock mid-day and takes off his hat. Ton
Karing Form. However, thanks to the
know that at the present time piety is about the smartest
craze going, and so perhaps it is unnecessary to go into
virtuous De Mille touch, one of Dr. Sc
any further explanation, as, for example, that a few
delightful plays, The Affairs of Anate
young arlstocrats happened be Just coming out of
church and that Oskar wantt to behave as a Catholle
ore the proletariat by Famous Players
for their special beneflt. God knows how often he has
ralizing adornments, that whereas the
previously been guilty of this imposture without beins
found out, but as luck would have it, it happens yester¬
er have recognized it (if he had, he
day that old Ehrenberg comes along the road at the
same moment. He sees Oskar taking off his hat in
ave blown his brains out) at least the
front of che church door

and attacked by a fit of
he land were, for the time being, saved
uncontrollable rage he gives his offspring a box on the
curs then und there. A box on the eurs! Oskur ihe
wnfall.
lieutenant in the reserve! Mid-day in the center of the
town!
i
So it is not partieularly remarkable that ihe
the enlightened circles of Mittel-Europa, it
story was known all over the town the very same evening.
he practice for a good many years to pounce
It is already in some of the papers today. The Jewiel
the
ones leave it severely alone, except for a few scandal¬
Schnitzler whenever the defenders of the one
Road
pen, although it isn't a Jewish
mongering raßs, the anti-Semitic ones of course go for
aith decided that it was about time again to
it hot and strong. The Christliche Volksbote is the best.
novel, is
best Jewish novel that has ever
and insists on both the Ehrenberss being brought before
a1
old score against the Jews. Of course, the
been writte. The story is primarily concerned with the
a Jury for sacrilege or blasphemy.
w-baiters, not being familiar with the cul¬
youthful Baron George von Wergentin (example of
It is in the long conversation between the Baron
ir land which they were attempting to safe¬
that deligntful, charming type of cultural Viennese who
and Heinrich Bermann, brilliant writer, moody, cyni¬
ld not have been expected to know that the
inhabited that gay capital before the war, and who has
cal, the intellectual Jew, ul#gtn
of old Vienna had been immortalized prob¬
prchabi gone off mto hiding since the advent of the
nor Zionistic, flames up against the stupid bigotries
by this Jew, Schnitzler, than by any other
Hakenkrhczler), and his wistful love affair with Frau¬
of his age, that Schnitzler shows the attitude of the
sts who have made it one of the great intel¬
lein Anna Rosner, one of that colorful intellectual group
Christian free from prejudices (or as frec as it is pos¬
ters of the world. Here in America, al¬
of writers, musicians and bon vivants with whom the
sible for a Christian to be). The Baron does not un¬
mitzler has been a shrinc at which those few
baron lives a carefree and delightful existence in gay
derstand why these Jewish friends and acquaintances of
reat literary work have been happy to kneel,
Vienna, those persons who made the city the center of
his are always bringing up their race, either apolo¬
cen known about Schnitzler, the Jew. True
Europe's wit and wisdom before the great war to end
getically or as if they wanted to start a quarrel. At the
sen by the readers of Tux Jzwisn TuiBuNg
pcace. As this circle includes many Jews, for with all
home of Anna Rosner he meets Dr. Stauber, who is
the twelve outstanding Jews of the world,
due respects to Brother Hitler and Comrade Evans,
explaining how his family is related to the Golow. ’s,
eno quarrel with the selection. But we have
wherever there is gay wit and other manifestations of in¬
which numbers two militant members, Theresa, a rau
at, although the readers of this publication
tellect and cultüre, there are usually to be found Jews,
cal political worker, and Leo, radical Jewish nationalist.
tthis Vienna doctor, who casily brought over
the whiole background of the story has been utilized by
When the Doctor finally added in a resigned tone:
licate touch, required for his surgical instru¬
Schnitzler to show in his skillful handling of dialogue
The Baron is bound to know that all Jews are related
s plays and novels, was an outstanding figure
what these Jews think of Jews, of Jewish movements
to one another, to quote from, the novel:
ry world, still being members of the most
and above all, how this intelligent baron, who is prob¬
George smiled amlably. as a matter of fact it
and stubborn race that ever lived, they voted
ably one of the few Christians left in Austria, reacts
rather Jarred on his nerves.
There was ne necessity at
re because he had been read out of society
all, in his view, for Doctor Stauber as well officially to
to Jewish culture and Jewish ideas. As it is seldom
communicate to him his membership of the Jewish com¬
ary Kleagles.
munity. He already knew it and bore him no grudges
that two Jews, if they are at all intelligent, can be
for It. He bore him no grudge at all for it; but why °o
rs ago, at the old Irving Place Theatre,
found to agree upon anything, the brilliant discussion of
they always begin to tall about it themselves? Wherever
Dr. Bernhardi' was produced in German.
he went, he only met
7
# #, were ashamed of being
these highly sensitive characters, who Imbrace all man¬
Jews, or the type who u
proud of it and were fright¬
rew out of an incident in the life of his
ners of Jews—radical assimilationists, radical nationalists
ened of people thinkin.“
y were ashamed of it.
mous Vienna throat specialist and professor
Zionists, non-Zionists, cynics, idcalists—gives under the
Thus again wlien he runs into Heinrich for the first
rsity of Vienna, who was th victim of the
matchless artistry of Schnitzler a vivid picture of Jewish
time after his long absence from the city and Heinrich
of his clerical associates. This play was a
life in the Diaspora. For these characters would be
is discussing his work:
lictment against anti-Semitism and might be
just as much at home on West End Avenue, the Café
The only thing which gives me a certaln amount
rvice in bringing Christianity back to the
of confidence is simply the consclousness of being able to
Royal or Gramercy Park, as in Vienna.
see right into people’s souls

right deep down, ever)
ged again in divers spots where the so-called
There is the Ehrenberg family, whose rich, 'uxurious
one, rogues and honest people, men, women and children,
congregates.
heathens, Jews and Protestants, yes, even Catholics, aris¬
home is the scene of many teas and dinners for the
tocrats and Germans, although I have heard that that is
The Road to Freedom“ (brought out this
socially-sought-after personalities and celebrities of
supposed to be innitely dimeult, not to sny impossibie.
for peopie Iikte myselz.“
rica by Knopf as The Road to the Open“)
Vienna. The Ehrenbergs wared wealth i¬
Georte wave u. 8ll