Monika Schwarz-Friesel

Wie artikuliert sich im 21. Jahrhundert judenfeindliches Gedankengut? Und wann ist eine Äußerung antisemitisch? Mit diesen Fragen beschäftigen sich die Sprach- und Kognitionswissenschaftlerin Monika Schwarz-Friesel und der Historiker Jehuda Reinharz anhand einer datenreichen Untersuchung des aktuellen judenfeindlichen Sprachgebrauchs. Die detaillierte Analyse der diversen Manifestationsformen von direktem und indirektem Verbal-Antisemitismus zeigt, welche geistigen Konzepte und emotionalen Ressentiments judeophoben Einstellungen zugrundeliegen. Diese äußern sich in uralten Klischees und Verschwörungstheorien ebenso wie in neuen, israelbezogenen Stereotypen. Die Studie zeigt, wie Juden als Juden verbal ausgegrenzt und beleidigt, belehrt, ermahnt und bedroht werden, und dass judenfeindliche Äußerungen von vielen Menschen artikuliert werden, als hätte es den Holocaust und seine intensive Aufarbeitung nie gegeben.

Antisemitism never disappeared in Europe. In fact, there is substantial evidence that it is again on the rise, manifest in violent acts against Jews in some quarters, but more commonly noticeable in everyday discourse in mainstream European society. This innovative empirical study examines written examples of antisemitism in contemporary Germany. It demonstrates that hostility against Jews is not just a right-wing phenomenon or a phenomenon among the uneducated, but is manifest among all social classes, including intellectuals. Drawing on 14,000 letters and e-mails sent between 2002 and 2012 to the Central Council of Jews in Germany and to the Israeli embassy in Berlin, as well as communications sent between 2010 and 2011 to Israeli embassies in in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain, this volume shows how language plays a crucial role in activating and re-activating antisemitism. In addition, the authors investigate the role of emotions in antisemitic argumentation patterns and analyze “anti-Israelism” as the dominant form of contemporary hatred of Jews.

Antisemitism never disappeared in Europe. In fact, there is substantial evidence that it is again on the rise, manifest in violent acts against Jews in some quarters, but more commonly noticeable in everyday discourse in mainstream European society. This innovative empirical study examines written examples of antisemitism in contemporary Germany. It demonstrates that hostility against Jews is not just a right-wing phenomenon or a phenomenon among the uneducated, but is manifest among all social classes, including intellectuals. Drawing on 14,000 letters and e-mails sent between 2002 and 2012 to the Central Council of Jews in Germany and to the Israeli embassy in Berlin, as well as communications sent between 2010 and 2011 to Israeli embassies in in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain, this volume shows how language plays a crucial role in activating and re-activating antisemitism. In addition, the authors investigate the role of emotions in antisemitic argumentation patterns and analyze “anti-Israelism” as the dominant form of contemporary hatred of Jews.

English summary: The metaphor as a linguistic and intellectual phenomenon is one of the most fascinating subjects of cognitive linguistics. Metaphors are systematically analyzed on the levels of word, sentence and text. Phenomena such as innovative and lexicalized metaphors, the cognitive processing and pragmatic function of metaphorical expressions as well as metaphors in the process of text comprehension are theoretically explained and illustrated with the help of a large number of authentic examples. Separate chapters deal with metaphors in mass media and in literary texts. The book is suitable as a basis for teaching and for self-study. Integrated exercises help in further applying the content in practice. German description: Die Metapher ist als sprachliches und geistiges Phanomen einer der faszinierendsten Gegenstande der kognitiven Linguistik. Metaphern werden systematisch im Hinblick auf die Ebenen Wort, Satz und Text erortert. Unter anderem werden innovative und lexikalisierte Metaphern, die kognitive Verarbeitung und pragmatische Funktion metaphorischer Ausserungen sowie Metaphern im Textverstehensprozess theoretisch erlautert und an zahlreichen authentischen Beispielen veranschaulicht. Metaphern in massenmedialen und in literarischen Texten werden in eigenen Kapiteln behandelt. Der Band ist als Grundlage fur Lehrveranstaltungen und fur das Selbststudium geeignet. Anhand der integrierten Ubungen konnen die Inhalte vertiefend angewandt werden.

This study considers the question of how specific ideas about Jews are constructed and activated. At which point can a statement be regarded as anti-Semitic? The two authors examine the various verbal manifestations of current anti-Semitism and the mental images on which these are based, applying both a historical perspective and the perspective of linguistic and cognitive science.