The conversion of Hungarian Jews to Christianity in Buda, Óbuda, Pest and Vienna between 1746 and 1850 Cover Image

A magyarországi zsidóság áttérési gyakorlata Buda, Óbuda, Pest településeken és Bécsben 1746 és 1850 között
The conversion of Hungarian Jews to Christianity in Buda, Óbuda, Pest and Vienna between 1746 and 1850

Author(s): Erzsébet Mislovics
Subject(s): Jewish studies, 18th Century, 19th Century
Published by: AETAS Könyv- és Lapkiadó Egyesület

Summary/Abstract: The study focuses on the conversion of Jews in Buda, Óbuda, Pest and Vienna between 1746 and 1850. The converts belong to two main groups: those converting in Hungary and those who converted in Vienna, but were residents of Hungary. Although the number of converts was not really significant, the fact and the phenomenon of conversion raise several demographic, economic and social issues and had an influence on both the Jewish and the Christian society. On the basis of the converts' background we can observe two societies: a traditional society and a transitional society, in which the framework of the traditional society lives on, but the beginnings of a new, modern society are also visible. In the traditional society, conversion was the choice of underprivileged people, whereas in the transitional one was also chosen by those who were hoping to economically and socially benefit from it. Many Jews chose to convert to Christianity in order to climb the social ladder. In Buda, Óbuda, Pest, the conversion could be interpreted as an expression of Hungarian nationalism

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 31-58
  • Page Count: 28
  • Language: Hungarian