Ueber die bürgerliche Verbesserung der Juden [On the Civil Improvement of the Jews], by Christian Wilhelm Dohm. Berlin and Szcecin: Friedrich Nicolai, 1781. First edition. German and French.
First edition of Christian Wilhelm Dohm's groundbreaking work on the legal and social status of Europe's Jews. Dohm, an Enlightenment-era Christian intellectual, wrote the work at the encouragement of his friend Moses Mendelssohn, claiming that the restrictions imposed on the Jews are harmful to society and proposing granting them equal rites.
At the same time, he criticizes Jewish religious institutions and traditional ways of life, which he claims impede their integration into society. This book is considered an important stage in the question of emancipation and civil rites of Jews in Europe.
[8], 200 pages. 16 cm. Overall good condition. Stains and wear. Creases. Minor tears. Inscriptions and signatures. Stamp. Bookplate. Old cardboard binding, somewhat worn on margins.
