Baron, Salo W. (Salo Wittmayer), 1895-1989

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Biography

Salo Wittmayer Baron was instrumental in establishing Jewish Studies as an academic discipline in the United States. An extraordinarily prolific historian, Baron also played an exceptional role in American Jewish organizational life. Baron was born in 1895 in Tarnow, now in Poland but then part of Austrian Galicia. His parents, Elias Baron and Minna Wittmayer Baron, were orthodox Jews, and Elias Baron was a banker and Jewish community leader. Salo Baron had two sisters: Gisa (1892-1943) and Tanya (Tania, "Toni") (1898-?). Both Gisa and the parents died in the Holocaust in 1943. Studying at the University of Vienna, Baron earned doctorates in history (1917), political science (1922), and law (1923). Baron also completed a rabbinical degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary in Vienna in 1920. After teaching at the Juedisches Paedagogium in Vienna from 1919 to 1926, Baron left for the United States, where he joined the faculty of the Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Baron was offered the newly-created Miller Chair of Jewish History, Literature, and Institutions in 1930 by Columbia University, where he remained for the rest of his career (emeritus after 1963). In 1936 Baron and Morris R. Cohen founded the Conference on Jewish Relations (later called the Conference on Jewish Social Studies), which publishes the journal Jewish Social Studies. The author of more than a dozen monographs and over 500 articles on Jewish history, Baron had an extraordinary range and scope. He was at home in ancient, medieval, and modern history and could read twenty languages. His magnum opus was A Social and Religious History of the Jews, which filled 18 volumes. Baron saw his scholarship as a corrective to what he termed "the lachrymose conception of Jewish history." His work focused on the social history and cultural accomplishments of the Jews rather than on suffering and pogroms. Baron also sought to reintegrate religious experience into the historical fabric of Jewish life. Beginning with his work on the Permanent Minorities Commission of the League of Nations in 1925, Baron served on various international committees during his long career. He founded and directed Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, an organization dedicated to identifying and reclaiming Jewish cultural patrimony plundered by the Nazis. At the invitation of Ben Gurion, Baron testified at the Eichmann trial in 1961. In addition, Baron directed or served as trustee for several academic institutions and organizations in this country and in Israel.

From the guide to the Baron, Salo W. Papers, 1900-1980, (Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Peter R. Frank papers, 1968-1990 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Frank, Peter R., 1924-. Peter R. Frank papers, 1968-1990. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Abraham Aaron Roback papers, 1909-1965. Houghton Library
creatorOf Conference on Science, Philosophy, and Religion. Records. 1939-1977. 1940-1968. Ocean County College Library, OCC Library
creatorOf Baron, Salo Wittmayer, 1895-1989. Salo Wittmayer Baron papers, 1923-1946. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Hyman G. Enelow Papers., 1897-1933. The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
referencedIn American Academy for Jewish Research, records, undated, 1928-2001 (bulk 1940s-1990s) American Jewish Historical Society
referencedIn Los Angeles Jewish Community Council. The American Jewish Tercentenary Committee. American Jewish Tercentenary, 1654-1954 : Exhibit catalogue, 1955. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Baron, Salo W. Papers, 1900-1980 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Jewish Theological Seminary of America. General Files. Records, 1902-1972. 1940-1972 (bulk). Ocean County College Library, OCC Library
referencedIn La Piana, George, 1879-1971. Papers, 1878-1972. Andover-Harvard Theological Library
creatorOf Baron, Salo W. (Salo Wittmayer), 1895-1989. Correspondence to Chaim Potok, 1987. University of Pennsylvania Library
referencedIn Training Bureau for Jewish Communal Service (New York, N.Y.). Records, 1946-1951. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn National Jewish Welfare Board, Bureau of War Records, 1940-1969, undated, 1940-1969 (bulk 1943-1946) American Jewish Historical Society
referencedIn American Academy for Jewish Research. Records, 1928-1967. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Baron family. Condolence letters to the Baron family on the deaths of Jeannette Meisel Baron and Salo Baron, 1985-1989, and miscellaneous papers and cassette tapes relating to Salo W. Baron, 1972-1996. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Oscar I. Janowsky Papers, undated, 1916-1993 American Jewish Historical Society
referencedIn American Jewish Tercentenary Celebration Collection, undated, 1949-1956 American Jewish Historical Society
referencedIn Joseph L. Blau Papers, 1912-1987. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Davidson, Israel, 1870-1939. Papers, 1887-1942. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Jewish Cultural Reconstruction Inc: records (microfilm), 1943-1950 Wiener Library
creatorOf Frankel, David. Bookdealer's catalog, 1933. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Institute for Religious and Social Studies. Records, 1938-1976. Ocean County College Library, OCC Library
referencedIn Blau, Joseph L. (Joseph Leon), 1909-1986. Joseph L. Blau papers, 1912-1987. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Abramsky, Chimen, 1916-2010. person
associatedWith Adler, Cyrus, 1863-1940. person
associatedWith Altmann, Alexander, 1906- person
associatedWith American Academy for Jewish Research. corporateBody
associatedWith American Jewish Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith American Jewish Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith American Jewish Historical Society. corporateBody
associatedWith American Jewish Tercentenary Celebration person
associatedWith Ankori, Zvi, 1920- person
associatedWith Aptowitzer, Victor, 1871-1942. person
associatedWith Arendt, Hannah. person
associatedWith Arendt, Hannah, 1906-1975. person
associatedWith Baeck, Leo, 1873-1956. person
associatedWith Baron family. family
associatedWith Barzilay, Isaac, 1915- person
associatedWith Ben-Horin, Meir, 1918- person
associatedWith Bernstein, S. (Simon), b. 1884. person
associatedWith Blau, Joseph L. (Joseph Leon), 1909-1986. person
associatedWith Blumenfield, Samuel U., 1901-1972. person
associatedWith Blumenkranz, Bernhard. person
associatedWith Blumenkranz, Bernhard. person
associatedWith Cohen, Arthur A. (Arthur Allen), 1928-1986. person
associatedWith Cohen, Morris Raphael, 1880-1947. person
associatedWith Columbia University. Center for Israel and Jewish Studies. corporateBody
associatedWith Conference on Jewish Cultural Reconstruction. corporateBody
associatedWith Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. corporateBody
associatedWith Conference on Jewish Relations (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Conference on Jewish Social Studies (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Conference on Science, Philosophy, and Religion. corporateBody
associatedWith Damask, Emil. person
associatedWith Damask, Emil. person
associatedWith Davidson, Israel, 1870-1939. person
associatedWith Davis, Moshe. person
associatedWith Davis, Moshe. person
associatedWith Diesendruk, Zvi. person
associatedWith Diesendruk, Zvi. person
associatedWith Duker, Abraham. person
associatedWith Duker, Abraham. person
associatedWith Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955. person
associatedWith Emergency Committee for Displaced German Scholars. corporateBody
correspondedWith Enelow, Hyman Gerson person
associatedWith Feigin, Samuel I. (Samuel Isaac), 1893-1950. person
associatedWith Finkelstein, Louis, 1895-1991. person
associatedWith Frankel, David. person
associatedWith Frank, Peter R., 1924- person
associatedWith Friedman, Philip, 1901-1960. person
associatedWith Fuks, Leo. person
associatedWith Gandz, Solomon. person
associatedWith Gandz, Solomon. person
associatedWith Gartner, Lloyd P., 1927- person
associatedWith Glatzer, Nahum N. (Nahum Norbert), 1903-1990. person
associatedWith Goitein, S. D., 1900-1985. person
associatedWith Goldmann, Nahum, 1895-1982. person
associatedWith Grayzel, Solomon, 1896-1980. person
associatedWith Halpern, Ben. person
associatedWith Halpern, Israel, 1910- person
associatedWith Halpern, Israel, 1910-1971. person
associatedWith Handlin, Oscar, 1915-2011. person
associatedWith Hebrew Union College. corporateBody
associatedWith Hebrew Union College (Cincinnati) corporateBody
associatedWith Hebrew University (Israel) corporateBody
associatedWith Hertzberg, Arthur. person
associatedWith Institute of Jewish Religion (New York) corporateBody
associatedWith Janowsky, Oscar I. (Oscar Isaiah), 1900- person
associatedWith Janowsky, Oskar. person
associatedWith Janowsky, Oskar. person
associatedWith Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Pubication Society. corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Publication Society. corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Theological Seminary (New York) corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Theological Seminary of America. General Files. corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Institute for Religious and Social Studies. corporateBody
associatedWith Kaplan, Jacob. person
associatedWith Kaplan, Jacob. person
associatedWith Karp, Abraham J. person
associatedWith Karp, Abraham J. person
associatedWith Kisch, Guido, 1889-1985. person
associatedWith Knapp, Russel. person
associatedWith Knapp, Russel. person
associatedWith Kohut, George Alexander, 1874-1933. person
associatedWith Konvitz, Milton R. (Milton Ridvas), 1908-2003. person
associatedWith La Piana, George, 1879-1971 person
associatedWith Lieberman, Saul, 1898- person
associatedWith Lieberman, Saul, 1898-1983. person
associatedWith Los Angeles Jewish Community Council. The American Jewish Tercentenary Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Mahler, Raphael, 1899- person
associatedWith Mahler, Raphael, 1899-1977. person
associatedWith Marcus, Jacob Rader, 1896-1995. person
associatedWith Marx, Alexander, 1878-1953. person
associatedWith Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture. corporateBody
associatedWith National Foundation for Jewish Culture (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith National Jewish Welfare Board. corporateBody
associatedWith National Jewish Welfare Board, Bureau of War Records corporateBody
associatedWith Netanyahu, B. (Benzion), 1910- person
associatedWith Neusner, Jacob, 1932- person
associatedWith Oelsner, Toni. person
associatedWith Oelsner, Toni. person
associatedWith Orlinsky, Harry Meyer, 1908- person
associatedWith Pinson, Koppel. person
associatedWith Pinson, Koppel. person
associatedWith Prinz, Joachim, 1902-1988. person
correspondedWith Roback, A. A. (Abraham Aaron), 1890-1965 person
associatedWith Roth, Cecil, 1899-1970. person
associatedWith Scholem, Gershom Gerhard, 1897-1982. person
associatedWith Silberschlag, Eisig, 1903- person
associatedWith Silberschlag, Eisig, 1903-1988. person
associatedWith Spiegel, Shalom, 1899- person
associatedWith Spiegel, Shalom, 1899-1984. person
associatedWith Starr, Joshua, 1907-1949. person
associatedWith Steinberg, Aaron, 1891-1975. person
associatedWith Stern, Selma, 1890-1981. person
associatedWith Subseries 1. Printed materials about European Jews (largely before 1945) person
associatedWith Subsubseries 2. Nazi Books person
associatedWith Tal, Uriel. person
associatedWith Tal, Uriel. person
associatedWith Tartakower, Aryeh, 1897-1982. person
associatedWith Täubler, Eugen, 1879-1953. person
associatedWith Tèaubler, Eugen, 1879-1953 person
associatedWith Tel-Aviv University (Israel) corporateBody
associatedWith Training Bureau for Jewish Communal Service. corporateBody
associatedWith Training Bureau for Jewish Communal Service (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Twersky, Isadore. person
associatedWith Twersky, Isadore. person
associatedWith Union Theological Seminary (New York) corporateBody
associatedWith Union Theological Seminary (New York, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Wischnitzer, Mark, 1882-1955. person
associatedWith Wischnitzer, Rachel, 1885-1989. person
associatedWith Wise, George Schneiweis, 1906- person
associatedWith Wise, Stephen S. (Stephen Samuel), 1874-1949. person
associatedWith World Jewish Congress. corporateBody
associatedWith Yerushalmi, Yosef Hayim, 1932-2009. person
associatedWith YIVO. corporateBody
associatedWith YIVO. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Jewish studies
Jews
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1895-05-26

Death 1989-11-25

Americans

English

Information

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