Badenheim 1939 represents a slice of life in an Austrian resort town populated mostly by Jews, as Nazi persecutions become more frequent in countries conquered by the Germans. As the “Sanitation Department” begins registering Jewish citizens and restricting their movements, the Jews go about their everyday lives, blame each other for what is happening, or gradually lose their minds.
About the Author
One of the preeminent living Hebrew language authors, Aharon Appelfeld was born in Rumania in 1932. When he was eight years old, he and his family were deported to a concentration camp. Although still a child, he escaped the camp and joined the Russian Army. After the war, in 1946, he moved to Israel. An author of poetry, short fiction, novels and articles, Appelfeld now teaches at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva.
Characters
Characters flow in and out of the narrative. Some appear in a chapter or two and then disappear, while others arrive late in the novel and seem to come out of nowhere. Some characters arehave named,s, but we learn little else about them. Other characters are only identified by what they do, such as “the schoolgirl,” “the pastry shop owner,” “the twins,” “the headwaiter,” “the conductor,” “the half-Jewish waitress,” and “the rabbi.” Below is a list of several of the characters who appear prominently in the story.
Dr. Pappenheim— – an optimistic and eccentric impresario who visitsing Badenheim each summer to organize the annual music festival. He craves structure, constantly refers to schedules and timetables, and, but is always able to find positive explanations for the most ominous of actions. Frau Zauberblit— – an escapee from a nearby sanitarium (she appears to have mild symptoms of tuberculosis); in her gay straw hat, she enjoys the companionship and culture that Badenheim provides. Martin— – the local pharmacist, is self-conscious and quick to blame himself for the problems of others. He is dedicated to his ailing wife, Trude. Trude— – Martin’s wife; stricken with severe depression and paranoia, she constantly awaits news from her daughter. Sally and Gertie— – two local middle-aged prostitutes, largely accepted by the community. Mandelbaum— – an eccentric musician who arrives late in the season togetheralong with a musical trio. Dr. Shutz— – a boyish, love-starved doctor who is in love with a visiting schoolgirl who he soon learns is pregnant. Dr. Langmann— – claiming his Austrian heritage with pride, he is quick to denounce his Judaism in order to maintain his status. Karl and Lotte— – a couple who journey to arriving Badenheim for the music festival. Karl has dragged a skeptical Lotte to the town, but it is Karl who loses his grip on reality as the summer wears on. Leon Samitzky— – a musician who migrated from Poland as a child and still recalls his native land with fondness. The yanuka— – Nahum Slotzker, a polish child and musical prodigy brought to Badenheim by Dr. Pappenheim. (“Yanuka” is an Aramaic word meaning “child prodigy,” often used to describe very young and very bright Ttalmudic scholars.). The rabbi —– old, infirm and forgotten, he appears ion his wheelchair very late in the novel, lamenting in an incomprehensible mixture of Yiddish and Hebrew.
Discussion Topics and Questions
1. The original Hebrew title of this novel is ???????? ??? ???? (Badenheim Ir Nofesh, or Baddenheim Resort Town). Why was the English translation of the novel retitled as Baddenheim 1939? How do the two titles reflect different moods or connotations?
2. What kind of book is Baddenheim 1939? Why do you think Appelfeld wrote Badenheim 1939? Is it intended as a social satire? Aa Zionist allegory? Aa realistic portrait of Jewish life at the dawn of the Holocaust—? or something else?
3. Some readers have argued that Appelfeld unfairly portrayed of the Jews of Badenheim, suggesting that Europeanthe Jewry s of Europe brought their fate upon themselves by their complacency. Do you agree or disagree with this analysis?
4. In a 1982 interview for the Boston Review, Appelfeld described the “heavy obligation” of being a Jewish writer. “My close family was killed. My natural environment, my childhood, my sweetest memories were killed. And so it’s a kind of obligation I feel; I’m dealing with a civilization that has been killed. How to represent it in the most honorable way—not to equalize it, not to exaggerate, but to find the right proportion to represent it, in human terms.” How is this “obligation” reflected in the style and content of Badenheim 1939?
5. From the beginning of the novel, Trude the pharmacist’s wife is depressed, pessimistic and apparently delusional. But as the mood in Badenheim changes, Trude’s sadness seems to be as though it isthe only sane response. As the novel ends comes to a close, how does the role of Trude develop? What is her response to the arrival of Helena? What is her attitude toward the relocation to Poland? Compare Trude’s madness to that of Karl. Does any other character display this sort of paradoxical common sense?
6. In response to the restrictions of the Sanitation Department, Dr. Pappenheim remarks that Badenheim is under quarantine because of a “Jewish epidemic” (pageg. 71). What does he mean by this? To what extent does Pappenheim recognize the significance of his quip? Do his other actions and utterances match these words?
7. In a 1988 interview with Philip Roth, Appelfeld admits that “In ‘Badenheim 1939’ I completely ignored the historical explanation. I assumed that the historical facts were known to readers and that they would fill in what was missing.” He goes on to say that “my description of the Second World War has something in it of a child’s vision.” What does he mean by these statements? How does Appelfeld’s “child’s vision” compare to the visions of other children writing about the Holocaust, such as those of Gunther Grass, Anne Frank , or Elie Wieeisel?
8. Appelfeld’s writing has been compared to that of Kafka, whom Appelfeld greatly admires. In his interview with Roth, Appelfeld said of Kafka, “He spoke to me not only in my mother tongue but also in another language which I knew intimately, the language of the absurd. I knew what he was talking about.” What is “absurd” about Badenheim 1939? How does Appelfeld’s sense of the absurd compare to Kafka’s?
9. What is the significance of the “yanuka”? He is young and scared, a visitor from Poland, but adored by the patrons of the arts in Badenheim. Why was he included in the story? Does he serve any narrative or allegorical purpose?
10. Discuss the reaction of the native Austrian Jews (like Dr. Langmann) to the Ostjuden (Jews from Poland and other Eastern Europepoean countries). What accounts for this response? Compare this reaction to that of Jews toward foreigners, greenhorns, and new immigrants throughout American history, in the State of Israel, and in ancient times.
11. On page 100, the old and feeble rabbi appears in the town center. Does Appelfeld use his character as a story element, an allegorical symbol, or as a personal memory that the author inserted into the narrative? What ideas or themes might the rabbi represent? How does the rabbi appear to others? What is his attitude and reaction toward the deportation to Poland? What does it tell us about how Appelfeld might have felt about the effectiveness of religion at the time of the Holocaust?
Steven Steinbock is the author of several books published by the URJ Press, the most recent being These Words Upon My Heart, A Lexicon of Judaism and World Religions. Steve is a graduate of the HUC-JIR Rhea Hirsch School of Education in Los Angeles.
Badenheim 1939 
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