Jewish literature is a fascinating phenomenon. It has developed as three branches of one tree: in Hebrew, in the Jewish languages of the Diaspora (mainly Yiddish), and in the national languages of the countries where Jews lived. No wonder that it is often difficult to grasp cross-references and connections between various works. To understand Jewish literature in all its complexity one should be able to read Hebrew, Yiddish, and at least a dozen European languages. Of course, one should not only have a thorough knowledge of the Jewish culture and tradition but also of the traditions and the ways of life of other nations. Not surprisingly, the culture of the people among whom the Jews of the Diaspora have lived has influenced Jewish authors, often very profoundly.

Among winners of the Nobel Prize for literature two wrote in Jewish languages: Samuel Joseph Agnon, who wrote in Hebrew and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1966, and Isaac Bashevis Singer, who wrote in Yiddish and received the award in 1978. But many other Jewish winners of the prize wrote in national languages; for example, Henri Louis Bergson (French, 1927), Nelly Sachs (German, 1966), Saul Bellow (English, 1976), Elias Canetti (German, 1981), Yosif Brodski (Russian, 1987), and Nadine Gordimer (English, 1991).

To understand them better, to grasp the roots and connections between various works and writers, one needs a broad overview of the full phenomenon. This is the idea behind the series Jewish Writing in the Contemporary World, which aims at presenting authors and their works, as well as the influences and historical events that shaped them in a particular homeland.

Austrian Jews and Austrian Jewish writing has always been an intriguing subject. The once powerful country in the heart of Europe has attracted attention with its tolerance and multiculturalism dating back to the period of the empire and with the charm of Vienna, the unquestionable cultural capital of the region throughout the centuries; but also with its many difficult political problems. The Jewish community in Austria can be traced back to the ninth century. Its history is tragically similar to that of many others in Europe, with a series of immigrations and expulsions, such as those in 1421 and 1670. In 1782 Emperor Joseph II issued his Edict of Tolerance, which revoked many anti-Jewish laws, but on the other hand promoted complete assimilation.