The Jewish Question in Exile – Ludwig Marcuse as a Critic

Abstract This article explores the often overlooked and largely forgotten contributions of Ludwig Marcuse (1884–1971), a writer, cultural critic, and philosopher and a pivotal figure among German-Jewish émigrés in France and the United States. Despite his considerable influence on renowned contemporaries, Marcuse’s own work (œuvre) remains underrecognized. The objective of this article is twofold: first, to reconstruct Marcuse’s intellectual engagement within its historical context; and second, to analyze a notable instance of his critical activity—specifically his involvement in a debate on the Jewish Question (1933–1935) during his French exile, conducted in dialogue with Lion Feuchtwanger, Arnold Zweig, and Alfred Döblin. To this end, the first part reconstructs Marcuse’s life, shaped by his experiences in exile, and shows how his intellectual background evolved amidst the disastrous political conditions in Europe within the milieu of the Weimar émigrée. Beginning in 1933, the four authors examined whether Zionism, Jewish nationalism, and a redefinition of Jewish identity could address the pressing issues faced by European Jews at the time. The second part, where this debate is revisited, aims to contribute to a better understanding of the different assessments of Zionism by the Weimar intellectual circle in exile.