"Für die vergessenen Pflichten der Humanität": Stefan Zweig und Bertha Zuckerkandl als Friedensaktivistinnen

Abstract: This essay explores the intellectual relationship and shared commitment to pacifism between Stefan Zweig and journalist Bertha Zuckerkandl during World War I. Informed by their Jewish heritage and Francophilia, Zweig and Zuckerkandl advocated for peace and understanding between France and Austria-Hungary. Zweig and Zuckerkandl chose neutral Switzerland as a base for their peace efforts, where Zuckerkandl engaged in covert diplomacy, and Zweig expressed his anti-war stance in his play Jeremias . The essay highlights their support for a separate peace between France and Austria, their participation in postwar intellectual gatherings promoting reconciliation, and their vision of Austria's role in fostering connections among nations. The article argues that in their peace efforts and "mission of connecting peoples" in the early twentieth century, Zweig and Zuckerkandl exemplify Viennese Jewish culture's cosmopolitan, tolerant values.