Analysis and Comparison of the Secondary Literature related to Frankism: Heinrich Graetz and Aleksander Kraushar
Abstract
Frankism, the new religious movement of the late 18th century, has presented a controversial theme in Jewish historiography nearly since its inception in the first half of the 19th century, and it is still controversial today, mostly because of continuous reiteration of the politicized statements made in those times and promoted by experts such as Gershom Scholem. In the paper presented here we want to show the evolution of these interpretations evident in the example of two influential historians of Judaism, Heinrich Graetz and Aleksander Kraushar, whose opinions on Frankism were, as we argue here, highly influenced by their personal views on Judaism.
While Graetz presents a more traditional approach based on his distrust towards Jewish mysticism, Kraushar represents the beginnings of the modern research influenced by his personal views on assimilation and his critique of traditional Judaism.