DOI article:
Puzio, Maksymilian: Wilhelma Wachtla "Pożegnanie z Golusem"
Citation link:https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/modus2020/0287
a new chapter in the history of their own community, which shall be born with
the move to Zioń. The diaspora world is represented by a pair of traditional Jews
who are attached to their history and, due to their age, are unable to give up their
old life.118 The metaphor of an abandoned world is complemented by matzevot
symbolizing those who are left behind - the dead ancestors whose history they
witness. Artur Kamczycki, in his study of Zionist art, emphasized that the cem-
eteries appearing in the works of Jewish artists of that period are a metaphor for
the Jewish stagnation that characterized the European community at the time.119
On the other hand, however, it should be noted that Wachtel himself wrote about
his attachment to tradition and upbringing, and in this context, matzevot might
represent the world in which he grew up, and is now abandoning - albeit with
sentiment.
Interpretation of the cycle
In this series of lithographs, Wilhelm Wachtel presented his attitude towards his
own Jewish heritage and the history of his community To quote Richard I. Coh-
en, we could say that the portfolio is “an encounter with the world and all that it
encompassed in the Eastern European context”.120 The artist created a narrative
consisting of 14 graphics, leading the viewer through a series of scenes reflecting
the harmony, peace, beauty and mystical quality of religious rituals - lighting
the Shabbat candles, participation of the entire shtetl in welcoming the Shabbat (Ka-
balat Shabbat), or experiencing the visit of the prophet Elijah during the Passover
Seder evening. He then showed the gradual deviation from tradition and the secu-
larization of the community - in secretly read books, which, it can be assumed,
deal with new Zionist tendencies. Later, he confronted the viewer with the history
of a minority Jewish community forced to endure humiliation and stigmatization,
diminishing the value of religion in theological disputes, to the point of persecu-
tion that the community had to be ready to defend itself against. Finally, Wilhelm
Wachtel proposed his own solution to the situation: namely, creating one’s own
homeland in linę with the Zionist vision. This was consistent with the actual ex-
periences of the Jewish community, because progressing anti-Semitism, physical
violence, destruction of property and pogroms forced many Jews to migrate to
Palestine and the United States in search of peace and security121
An important step in creating a narrative in the series is introducing an im-
age within an image in three plates: Passer-by, Shabbat candles, and Smali town
on a Friday evening. The second scene is a close-up of the view from behind
the glass, from inside the building, as seen by the figurę in the first picture; whereas
the third illustration, in the lower left corner, shows both of the previous scenes.
Linking these pieces together is meant to create a vision of the entire celebration
118 N. Styrna, Zrzeszenie Żydowskich Artystów, p. 153.
119 A. Kamczycki, Syjonizm i sztuka, p. 275.
120 R.I. Cohen, Żydowskie ikony. Obrazy żydowskiego losu: na rozstajach dróg, “Krasnogruda”, 11,
2000, p. 22.
121 It is estimated that approx. 2.4 million Jews emigrated from Eastern Europę between 1880 and
1914. Then they settled in Western Europę, the United States, Palestine, Argentina, South Africa,
and Canada. See: M. Kupovetsky, Population and Migration, in: The Yivo Encycklopedia ofjews
in Eastern Europę, <https://yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Population_and_Migration/
Population_and_Migration_before_World_War_I> (accessed on 29.08.2020).
Wilhelm Wachtel’s Farewell to Golus
287
the move to Zioń. The diaspora world is represented by a pair of traditional Jews
who are attached to their history and, due to their age, are unable to give up their
old life.118 The metaphor of an abandoned world is complemented by matzevot
symbolizing those who are left behind - the dead ancestors whose history they
witness. Artur Kamczycki, in his study of Zionist art, emphasized that the cem-
eteries appearing in the works of Jewish artists of that period are a metaphor for
the Jewish stagnation that characterized the European community at the time.119
On the other hand, however, it should be noted that Wachtel himself wrote about
his attachment to tradition and upbringing, and in this context, matzevot might
represent the world in which he grew up, and is now abandoning - albeit with
sentiment.
Interpretation of the cycle
In this series of lithographs, Wilhelm Wachtel presented his attitude towards his
own Jewish heritage and the history of his community To quote Richard I. Coh-
en, we could say that the portfolio is “an encounter with the world and all that it
encompassed in the Eastern European context”.120 The artist created a narrative
consisting of 14 graphics, leading the viewer through a series of scenes reflecting
the harmony, peace, beauty and mystical quality of religious rituals - lighting
the Shabbat candles, participation of the entire shtetl in welcoming the Shabbat (Ka-
balat Shabbat), or experiencing the visit of the prophet Elijah during the Passover
Seder evening. He then showed the gradual deviation from tradition and the secu-
larization of the community - in secretly read books, which, it can be assumed,
deal with new Zionist tendencies. Later, he confronted the viewer with the history
of a minority Jewish community forced to endure humiliation and stigmatization,
diminishing the value of religion in theological disputes, to the point of persecu-
tion that the community had to be ready to defend itself against. Finally, Wilhelm
Wachtel proposed his own solution to the situation: namely, creating one’s own
homeland in linę with the Zionist vision. This was consistent with the actual ex-
periences of the Jewish community, because progressing anti-Semitism, physical
violence, destruction of property and pogroms forced many Jews to migrate to
Palestine and the United States in search of peace and security121
An important step in creating a narrative in the series is introducing an im-
age within an image in three plates: Passer-by, Shabbat candles, and Smali town
on a Friday evening. The second scene is a close-up of the view from behind
the glass, from inside the building, as seen by the figurę in the first picture; whereas
the third illustration, in the lower left corner, shows both of the previous scenes.
Linking these pieces together is meant to create a vision of the entire celebration
118 N. Styrna, Zrzeszenie Żydowskich Artystów, p. 153.
119 A. Kamczycki, Syjonizm i sztuka, p. 275.
120 R.I. Cohen, Żydowskie ikony. Obrazy żydowskiego losu: na rozstajach dróg, “Krasnogruda”, 11,
2000, p. 22.
121 It is estimated that approx. 2.4 million Jews emigrated from Eastern Europę between 1880 and
1914. Then they settled in Western Europę, the United States, Palestine, Argentina, South Africa,
and Canada. See: M. Kupovetsky, Population and Migration, in: The Yivo Encycklopedia ofjews
in Eastern Europę, <https://yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Population_and_Migration/
Population_and_Migration_before_World_War_I> (accessed on 29.08.2020).
Wilhelm Wachtel’s Farewell to Golus
287