Der »große Philosoph« und der ihm »lieb gewordene Verein«. Zum Verhältnis von Constantin Brunner und dem Centralverein deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens

Abstract

Abstract How did the controversial philosopher Constantin Brunner come to collaborate with the largest Jewish association in Germany, the Centralverein deutscher Staatsbürger jüdischen Glaubens? And why did they dissolve in 1931? The article examines the multi-layered relationship between Brunner and the Centralverein between 1920 and 1931 on the basis of related publications, public debates, and the available internal correspondence and association files. Mutual expectations as well as political and ideological similarities between the association and the philosopher are discussed, as are points of conflict. Topics such as the defense against anti-Semitism and Brunnerʼs analysis of anti-Semitism are touched upon, as are debates on Jewish identity and the related question of the extent to which the Jewish population should be absorbed in non-Jewish society.