Stadt mit Jüdinnen: Antisemitism and Misogyny in Hans Karl Breslauer's Recently Restored Film Die Stadt ohne Juden (1924)

Abstract: Unlike Hugo Bettauer's 1922 novel, on which it is based, Hans Karl Breslauer's 1924 film Die Stadt ohne Juden features Jewish women. They appear as department store customers, mothers, wives, girlfriends, and synagogue congregants, yet they never engage in dialogue and, with but one exception, are always depicted together with men. Despite its inclusion of Jewish women, the film does little to disturb stereotypical representations of them, severely limiting its ability to challenge the powerful social structures that govern their representation. This article explores how additional scenes that appear in the restored 2018 version of this film address contemporary anxieties about Jewish women's and men's appearance, behavior, and ability to pass as non-Jews. That a film intended to oppose hatred of Jews ultimately cannot confront audiences with the absurdity of antisemitism reveals the limits of interwar films in transmitting critical messages.