Zunz, Leopold, 1794-1886

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Born in Detmold on August 10, 1794, Leopold Zunz was educated at the Samson'sche Freischule in Wolfenbüttel, and the universities of Berlin and Halle. In 1819, he was a founding member of the Verein fuer Cultur und Wissenschaft der Juden in Berlin, in which prominent intellectual figures like Eduard Gans, Heinrich Heine, M. I. Jost and Immanuel Wohlwill gathered. From this club, the so-called Wissenschaft des Judentums emerged, mainly based on two early works of Zunz, the programmatic article " Etwas über rabbinische Litteratur " (1818) and the major ground-breaking study on Jewish sermons, Die gottesdienstlichen Vortraege der Juden, historisch entwickelt (1832). After receiving his doctorate in 1821, he worked as a preacher and teacher and became the editor of the journal Zeitschrift für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums . In 1822, he married Adelheid Bermann (1802-1874). In later years, he retreated more and more from his public duties and dedicated his life to the study of Jewish literature. He died in Berlin on March 17, 1886.

From the guide to the Leopold and Adelheid Zunz Collection, 1815-1959, (Leo Baeck Institute)

Leopold Zunz, a German historian, is known as the Father of the Science of Judaism. His historical and scientific approach to the study of Judaism was fostered through his study at the University of Berlin under the Classicist, Frederich August Wolf. He saw the promotion of an historical-critical approach to Jewish Studies as a way of furthering the aims of the society. The main focus of his research was Hebrew literature.

From the description of Zunz-Ehrenberg papers 1811-1964, bulk 1811-1879. (Vanderbilt University Library). WorldCat record id: 29748926

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Zunz Archives Jerusalem Collection Leo Baeck Institute Archives
referencedIn Dukes, Leopold, 1810-1891. Papers, 1829-1882. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Heimann Jolowicz Collection, 1807-1915 Leo Baeck Institute Archives
referencedIn Heinrich Heine Collection, 1823-1997 Leo Baeck Institute Archives
creatorOf Zunz, Leopold, 1794-1886. 880-99 <>. National Library of Israel, Jewish National Library
referencedIn Gaster, Moses, 1856-1939. [Essays] Jewish Theological Seminary of America
creatorOf Zunz, Leopold, 1794-1886. Lectures on Jewish literature. Yeshiva University
creatorOf Zunz, Leopold, 1794-1886. Zunz-Ehrenberg papers 1811-1964, bulk 1811-1879. Vanderbilt University Library, Jean and Alexander Heard Library
referencedIn Samuel Meyer Ehrenberg, 1763-1918, bulk 1806-1855 Leo Baeck Institute.
referencedIn Ehrenberg-Rosenzweig Family Collection, 1772-1930 Leo Baeck Institute.
creatorOf Leopold and Adelheid Zunz Collection, 1815-1959 Leo Baeck Institute.
referencedIn Immanuel Wohlwill Family Collection, 1812-1965 Leo Baeck Institute Archives
referencedIn Hanns Reissner Collection, 1821-1977, bulk 1955-1975 Leo Baeck Institute.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Bet ha-sefarim ha-leʼumi veha-universitaʼi bi-Yerushalayim person
associatedWith Dukes, Leopold, 1810-1891. person
associatedWith Ehrenberg, Philipp, 1811-1882 person
associatedWith Ehrenberg, Phillip. person
associatedWith Ehrenberg, Samuel Meyer, d. 1853. person
associatedWith Gaster, Moses, 1856-1939. person
associatedWith Glatzer, Nahum N. (Nahum Norbert), 1903-1990. person
associatedWith Jolowicz, H. (Heimann), 1816-1875 person
associatedWith Leo Baeck Institute corporateBody
associatedWith Poppelauer, M. person
associatedWith Reissner, Hanns Günther, 1902-1977 person
associatedWith Samsonschule, Wolfenbuettel, 1786-1928 corporateBody
correspondedWith Wohlwill, Immanuel person
associatedWith Zunz, Adelheid (Bermann) 1802-1874 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Jewish learning and scholarship
Jewish literature
Manuscripts
Manuscripts, Hebrew
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1794-08-10

Death 1886-03-17

Germans

German,

Hebrew

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