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Theodor Fritsch to Wilhelm Marr on New Tactics for the Struggle against the Jews (1884-85)

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II.

April 7, 1885

[ . . . ] Our poor and divided Antisemitic Party has lost so much face because of the disunity of its ‘leaders’ (or rather those who get things done) who threw mud at each other. That has also caused doubts and distrust from within, so that a new step along these lines will perhaps finish the party off. Possibly. But also possibly it might bring about a gradual – but only a very gradual – recovery and strengthening.

A great part of the more sensitive and decent antisemites have already become resentful and reserved because of the behaviour of these busybodies: the moment it suddenly became known that these fellows – who still exert a certain fascination over the larger mass of naive and uneducated antisemites – are all swindlers, all trust in antisemitism will be lost. Who is going to believe that the new ‘leaders’ who push themselves to the front are the right, the better and the more credible ones? Wouldn’t they assume that you and – me – or whoever participates in this activity want to displace the others out of pure jealousy?

Certainly! Those half-blooded Jew-Antisemites must be thrown off; they obstruct the development of the movement and discredit it. I can’t stand the clumsiness and foolishness of Grousilliers* and Pinkert any more than that of Schmeitzner. (Simoniy is still the one with the most grit, knowledge and aptitutde; he impressed me very much in the Dresden congress.)”**

[ . . . ]


* Hector de Grousilliers, one of the co-founders of the Antisemitic League, author of Nathan der Weise und die Antisemiten-Liga. (All footnotes taken from: Moshe Zimmermann, “Two Generations of in the History of German Antisemitism. The Letters of Theodor Fritsch to Wilhelm Marr”, Leo Baeck Institute Year Book 23 (1978): pp. 95-97.)
** The congress, meeting in September 1882, brought anti-Semitic delegates from Germany, Austro-Hungary, Russia and France together, and was followed by more anti-Semitic congresses until 1900.

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