The Borders of Intolerance: Maria Theresa and the Jews

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Richard Bassett

Published:

2025

Publisher:

Yale University Press

This chapter examines the complex position of Jews in Maria Theresa's monarchy and the lasting legacy of her policies. It highlights twentieth-century events that have influenced interpretations of Austrian anti-Semitism, connecting Maria Theresa's aversion to Jews to a broader history of hostility. It also shows that Jews, like non-Catholic Christians, were denied full civil rights unless they converted to Catholicism, as demonstrated by the rise of Joseph Sonnenfels. The chapter emphasizes that Maria Theresa accepted converts fully into civil society, influenced by her family's history of religious conversion and advisers like Bartenstein and Haugwitz. It reveals the monarchy's suspicion of Jews and Protestants due to their transnational ties, with Jews being particularly vulnerable because of their international connections and linguistic skills.

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