The German Table Society () was a literary society in Berlin which existed from 1811 to 1834. The society was founded on 18 January 1811, the 110th anniversary of the crowning of

Frederick I Frederick I or Friedrich I may refer to: * Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht. * Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978) * Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105) * Frederick I ...

as King in

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

, by poet

Achim von Arnim Carl Joachim Friedrich Ludwig von Arnim (26 January 1781 – 21 January 1831), better known as Achim von Arnim, was a German poet, novelist, and together with Clemens Brentano and Joseph von Eichendorff, a leading figure of German Romanticism. ...

and economist

Adam Müller Adam Heinrich Müller (30 June 1779 – 17 January 1829; after 1827 Ritter von Nitterdorf) was a German-Austrian conservative philosopher, literary critic, and political economist, working within the romantic tradition. Biography Early life ...

. The society's purpose was to encourage reforms in Prussia. During the society's meetings, its members dined communally, told stories, sung songs, and discussed politics. The German Table society was

anti-semitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

and its stances generally

politically conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

Founding and organisation

and

was the main founders of the society. Von Arnim wrote the statutes of the organisation, which were decided on democratically by the original members. Meetings were to revolve around a chosen "speaker" who also took the minutes. Speeches by others were also allowed, as well as the sharing of art, books and songs. Membership of the society was decided somewhat democratically; a new member needed the consent of 10 current members to be accepted. However, he also had to be a "man of honour", who was "born in the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

faith", meaning that women and

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

were banned from becoming members.

Members

Half of the members of the Table Society were from the

German nobility The German nobility () and Royal family, royalty were status groups of the Estates of the realm, medieval society in Central Europe, which enjoyed certain Privilege (law), privileges relative to other people under the laws and customs in the Ger ...

and half were private citizens. Some of the prominent members of the society are listed below:

Meetings

At meetings of the Table Society, the members would eat and drink and hold discussions on various topics together. Clemens Brentano gave his "Philistine speech" () at the society, in which he associates

Philistinism In the fields of philosophy and of aesthetics, the term philistinism describes the attitudes, habits, and characteristics of a person who deprecates art, beauty, spirituality, and intellect.''Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the Eng ...

with

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

; he describes Jews as "flies left over from the Egyptian plagues", that could be caught on "the stock exchange with mortgage bonds". He published the speech anonymously in 1811 as ''The Philistine before, during and after history'' (). Such

antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

was common amongst the members of the German Table Society, and both Achim von Arnim and Adam Müller gave antisemitic speeches.

References

Sources

* * {{Authority control Antisemitism in Germany