For nearly a century, it has been a commonplace of Central European history that there were no Jews in medieval Prussia-the result, supposedly, of the ruling Teutonic Order's attempts to create a purely Christian crusader's state. In this groundbreaking historical investigation, however, medievalist Cordelia Hess demonstrates the very weak foundations upon which that assumption rests. In exacting detail, she traces this narrative to the work of a single, minor Nazi-era historian, revealing it to be ideologically compromised work that badly mishandles its evidence. By combining new medieval scholarship with a biographical and historiographical exploration grounded in the 20th century, The Absent Jews spans remote eras while offering a fascinating account of the construction of historical knowledge.
- ISBN10 178533493X
- ISBN13 9781785334931
- Publish Date 1 May 2017
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Berghahn Books
- Format eBook
- Pages 334
- Language English
- URL http://berghahnbooks.com/title/HessAbsent