Gray and blue beer stein with images of anti-Jewish fables and politicians

The Katz Ehrenthal Collection is a collection of more than 900 objects depicting Jews and antisemitic and anti-Jewish propaganda from the medieval to the modern era, in Europe, Russia, and the United States. The collection was amassed by Peter Ehrenthal, a Romanian Holocaust survivor, to document the pervasive history of anti-Jewish hatred in Western art, politics and popular culture. It includes crude folk art as well as pieces created by Europe's finest craftsmen, prints and periodical illustrations, posters, paintings, decorative art, and toys and everyday household items decorated with depictions of stereotypical Jewish figures.

Johann Korzilius was the hoflieferant, or court supplier, to a ducal court in Ehrenfeld, Cologne, Prussia, which became Germany in 1918. He sold ceramic objects, such as beer steins, designed and manufactured by Dümler and Breiden, a ceramics manufacturing company in Höhr, Prussia (Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany).

Peter Dümler was born on November 7, 1860, in Höhr, Prussia, which became Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany. Peter married Bertha Breiden. The couple had five children, including a son, Paul. They lived in a double house with Bertha’s brother and Peter’s childhood friend, Albert Breiden (1860-1926). Peter and Albert became potters and were trained by Simon Peter Gerz (1830-1893), Albert’s uncle. Peter was also trained by Reinhold Hanke (1839-1886). In approximately 1883, Peter and Albert formed a ceramics manufacturing company, Dümler and Breiden. Peter was the designer and modeler and Albert ran the factory. They initially made practical crockery and won first place prizes in exhibits in Antwerp and Koblenz in 1885. In about 1890, they began producing steins. Peter, age 46, died on April 19, 1907, in Germany.

Adolf Stöcker (1835-1909) was born in Halberstadt, Prussia, whose ruler, Wilhelm 1 became Emperor of Germany after unification in 1871. From 1854 to 1857, he studied theology at the universities of Halle and Berlin. He worked as a tutor until 1863, when he became a pastor. In 1874, he was appointed Hofprediger, or court preacher, at the Domkirche in Berlin. Stöcker was a major force in the development of the antisemitic political movement in Germany. After unification on April 22, 1871, Jews were legally emancipated. In 1878, there was a stock market crash, then a prolonged economic crisis, during which many businesses failed. As in the past, Jews were widely blamed for the collapse. By the late 1870’s, Germany had developed a large middle class which united in blaming the Jews for the bankruptcies which threatened their livelihoods. Politicians capitalized on these frustrations and formed antisemitic political parties. In 1878, Stöcker founded the Christian Social Workers’ Party, an antisemitic conservative political party which linked a hatred of Jews with anti-capitalism. Between 1878 and 1880, Stöcker established the Berlin Movement, an association of antisemitic, anti-liberal, anti-capitalist groups, with the goal of freeing Berlin from domination by liberal parties. Stöcker was elected to the Reichstag from 1880 to 1893. In 1890, Stöcker was dismissed as court preacher because of his political views. Otto von Bismarck initially supported the Berlin Movement with his secret slush fund. However, the movement was not politically successful and came into conflict with Bismarck’s other policies. It ended in 1889 when Stocker was forced to withdraw from party politics. Stöcker was re-elected to the Reichstag from 1898 to 1908, but was no longer a figure of much influence.

Adolf König (1850-1900) was born in Witten, Prussia, whose ruler, Wilhelm 1 became Emperor of Germany after unification in 1871. He studied at universities in Gottingen and Vienna and was a medical doctor. König was politically active and a member of the Berlin Movement. The Berlin Movement was an association of antisemitic, anti-liberal, anti-capitalist groups with the goal of freeing Berlin from domination by liberal parties, and existed from 1878 to 1889. König was elected to the German Reichstag from 1893 to 1895. He was a member of the German Reform Party, an antisemitic conservative party. In 1894, it merged with the German Social Party to become the German Social Reform Party.

Wilhelm Pickenbach (1850-1903) was born in Berlin, Prussia, whose ruler, Wilhelm 1 became Emperor of Germany after unification in 1871. Pickenbach was a city councilman in Berlin and founded the German Anti-Semites League. Pickenbach was elected to the Reichstag from 1890 to 1893. He was a member of the German Reform Party, an antisemitic conservative party.

Ludwig Werner (1855-1928) was born in Bubenrode, Prussia, (later Malsfeld, Germany). He was a merchant, editor, and newspaper publisher. Werner was elected to the Reichstag from 1890 to 1918. He was a member of the German Reform Party, an antisemitic conservative party. In 1894, it merged with the German Social Party to become the German Social Reform Party.

Max Hugo Liebermann von Sonnenberg (1848-1911) was born in Weisswasser, Prussia, whose ruler, Wilhelm 1 became Emperor of Germany after unification in 1871. He served in the Prussian military as a lieutenant, then became a journalist and publisher. He was politically active and was a member of the Berlin Movement. The Berlin Movement was an association of antisemitic, anti-liberal, anti-capitalist groups with the goal of freeing Berlin from domination by liberal parties, and existed from 1878 to 1889. He was elected to the Reichstag from 1890 to 1907. Liebermann von Sonnenberg and Oswald Zimmermann shared the party chairmanship of the German Reform Party, an antisemitic conservative party. In 1894, it merged with the German Social Party to become the German Social Reform Party.

Otto Böckel (1859-1923) was born in Frankfurt am Main, Prussia, whose ruler, Wilhelm 1 became Emperor of Germany after unification in 1871. Böckel studied law, economics, and modern languages, and earned a PhD in 1882. He was a librarian and writer. He was politically active and was a member of the Berlin Movement. The Berlin Movement was an association of antisemitic, anti-liberal, anti-capitalist groups with the goal of freeing Berlin from domination by liberal parties, and existed from 1878 to 1889. Böckel was elected to the Reichstag from 1887 to 1903. He was in the German Reform Party, an antisemitic conservative party. In 1894, it merged with the German Social Party to become the German Social Reform Party. In 1889, Böckel published an antisemitic treatise, “Quintessence of the Jewish Question,” under the pseudonym Dr. Capistrano. After retirement from the Reichstag, Böckel was a folksong researcher and published several works.

Oswald Zimmermann (1859-1910) was born in Neumarkt in Schlesien, Prussia, (later Sroda Slaska, Poland). He studied at the Universities of Breslau and Leipzig. Zimmerman was a writer and publisher. He was elected to the Reichstag from 1890 to 1910. Zimmermann and Max Liebermann von Sonnenberg shared the party chairmanship of the German Reform Party, an antisemitic conservative party. In 1894, it merged with the German Social Party to become the German Social Reform Party.

The beer stein was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by the Katz Family.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Katz Family

Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.