Yair Mintzker

Joseph Süss Oppenheimer—"Jew Süss"—is one of the most iconic figures in the history of anti-Semitism. In 1733, Oppenheimer became the "court Jew" of Carl Alexander, the duke of the small German state of Württemberg. When Carl Alexander died unexpectedly, the Württemberg authorities arrested Oppenheimer, put him on trial, and condemned him to death for unspecified "misdeeds." On February 4, 1738, Oppenheimer was hanged in front of a large crowd just outside Stuttgart. He is most often remembered today through several works of fiction, chief among them a vicious Nazi propaganda movie made in 1940 at the behest of Joseph Goebbels.

The Many Deaths of Jew Süss is a compelling new account of Oppenheimer's notorious trial. Drawing on a wealth of rare archival evidence, Yair Mintzker investigates conflicting versions of Oppenheimer's life and death as told by four contemporaries: the leading inquisitor in the criminal investigation, the most important eyewitness to Oppenheimer's final days, a fellow court Jew who was permitted to visit Oppenheimer on the eve of his execution, and one of Oppenheimer's earliest biographers. What emerges is a lurid tale of greed, sex, violence, and disgrace—but are these narrators to be trusted? Meticulously reconstructing the social world in which they lived, and taking nothing they say at face value, Mintzker conjures an unforgettable picture of "Jew Süss" in his final days that is at once moving, disturbing, and profound.

The Many Deaths of Jew Süss was chosen as one of Financial Times's best books of 2017 , it is the winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in history (Gerrard and Ella Berman Memorial Award), and was a finalist for the 2018 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.

The book has been reviewed extensively in the popular press. Here is a sample:

"Thoroughly researched, enlightening, and compulsively readable."--Mitchell Abidor, Jewish Currents

"Genre-bending. . . . This book not only sheds new light on one of the most disputed characters of Jewish history, but also raises questions fundamental to historical interpretation in the 21st century."--Michael Brenner, Moment Magazine

"[The] documents are interpreted with consummate skill. . . . What is clear from Mintzker's inspired readings is that Oppenheimer became a cipher for much larger issues that had little to do with his actions. . . . He is right to hope that his 'polyphonic' challenge to mainstream historiography will be successful."--Bryan Cheyette, Times Higher Education

"Virtuoso scholarly performance."--Jonathan Karp, Jewish Review of Books

"Each of Mintzker’s source explorations is shrewd, elegant and illuminating. . . . As micro-studies in source interpretation, Mintzker’s readings are masterly."--Adam Sutcliffe, Times Literary Supplement

"This remarkable book does much more than offer a gripping reconstruction of the 1737 trial of Joseph Suss Oppenheimer, who had been the personal banker and advisor of the duke of a small German state and was executed, after the duke's death, for serious crimes against the state. Such a reconstruction would already have been a significant achievement, as the rigorous attention to detail and nuance bring the case vividly to life. But Mintzker . . . also explains the challenges presented to a historian in ascertaining the truth about the trial, and the rationale behind his way of dealing with the evidentiary record. . . . This fascinating intellectual journey deserves a wide audience."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Well written and engaging. . . . This meticulously researched work offers a fascinating and intelligent accounting of Oppenheimer's life that will captivate readers of history and Jewish studies."--Jacqueline Parascandola, Library Journal (starred review)

"Whatever approximation to the truth the polyphonic method yields, it brings the society and its protagonists to life in a way I have never seen before. On account of the rich texture of the evidence, the ancien régime becomes real, while Mintzker's lively prose turns the case into a detective story. . . . This wonderful book raises all sorts of questions. We are left to make up our own minds. Which was the real Oppenheimer? Can we find a compromise among the four accounts, and on what basis? I certainly cannot, but Mintzker’s attempt to do so makes this work an excellent exercise."--Jonathan Steinberg, Literary Review