“Freedom”

Catalog No. 299

Pottery or stoneware, relief, 0.5L, inlaid lid, signed “PD” (Peter Dümler).

Text:
“Dieser Pflug war nicht so schwer wenn Aron, Jonas, Hirsch nich war.”
(This plow would not be so heavy if there was no Aron, Jonas and Hirsch.)
“Das Handwerk schafft um kargen Lohn, den Segen raffet sich der Cohn.”
(The tradesman works for meager wages, the profits are grabbed by Cohn.)
“Der Michel liegt in Schlaf versunken von Judenzeitungsfusel Trunken.
Sie plundern ihm die Taschen aus, sie pressen ihm den Schweiss heraus.”
(Michel [iconic German male] lies sunk in drunken sleep from Jewish newspaper rotgut.
They are plundering his pockets, they squeeze out his sweat.)
“Denn im Talmud steht Geschreiben: Die Juden allein sind Menschen,
die ubringen Nationen haben die Art eines Thieres.
Und ferner: Das Geld der Akum ist herrenloses gut
und wer es zuerst bekommt hat dein Vortheil.”
(It is written in the Talmud: The Jews alone are humans,
the other nations have the habits of animals.
And furthermore: The money of the Christian is unclaimed property
and the first to get to it has the advantage.)
“Da ist Michel aufgewacht u. hat sie auf den Schub gebracht.
Marschroute: Auf dem geraden Wege nach dem Orient.”
(Then Michel [Germany] woke up and got them [the Jews] started on their journey.
March route: On the straight path to the Orient.
“Kauft nicht bei Juden.”
(Don’t buy from Jews.)

The lid inlay on this stein shows five prominent members of the Deutsche Volksverein (German People’s Society), an anti-Semitic organization that emerged in the early 1880s. Images include founder Max Lieberman von Sonnenberg, as well as W. Pickenbach, L. Werner, Dr. O. Roekel and O. Zimmerman. Two additional depictions on the handle are of Adolf Stoecker and Dr. A. Koenig, leaders of the equally anti-Semitic Christlichsoziale Partei (Christian Social Party). The scenes surrounding the body contain multiple derogatory depictions of Jews in late 19th century German society, including a wraparound bottom image showing them being forcibly driven out of Germany.