Module: Simon van Geldern
Simon van Geldern was born on 12 November 1720 in Vienna and died in September 1788. His father, Lazarus van Geldern, came from a wealthy court Jewish family – his grandfather Juspa van Geldern had acquired a large fortune and the goodwill of the Palatine Elector. Simon’s mother, Sara Lea Pressburg of Vienna, had also grown up in a respected court Jewish family. When Simon was about a year old, the family moved to Düsseldorf, where he spent most of his early childhood. He received a comprehensive education, both religious and secular, in Mannheim and Frankfurt. The quality and broad scope of this education would always be of use to him, as it opened doors wherever he went. After having finished his studies he took on smaller tasks for his father, who, after Juspa’s death, had taken over the position of court agent at the Düsseldorf Court. Simon’s lack of interest in the family business led to conflicts between him and his father which Simon tried to escape from by occasionally traveling. In 1747, when the family’s financial situation had deteriorated threateningly, the long-standing conflict between the two escalated, causing Simon to leave his parents’ home for good.
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Traveler and Merchant
In the following years the young Simon travelled throughout large parts of Europe being financially supported by various relatives. Several times he refused to fulfil business assignments that had been arranged for him by family members, resisting their urge to settle down and start his own business. Restless as he was, Simon decided to set out for the Holy Land – a decision that would prove to be a landmark for his future life. On 20 May 1751 he reached the holy cities in Safed after a journey of about six months. The rabbi tribunal there issued Simon with a certificate confirming his status as a devout pilgrim. During his journey Simon van Geldern also visited other cities such as Sidon, Alexandria and Cairo, where he searched for rare Arabic and Jewish manuscripts and artifacts which he wanted to sell in Europe. A diary entry from 1752 seems to document a visit of Simon to the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo. He was surprised and curious about what might be found in the Geniza, however, was unable to gain access to it. Simon van Geldern is thus the first European known to us who visited and described the Cairo Geniza.
Pilgrim
Towards the end of 1753 Simon returned to Europe. The Safed certificate from 1751 and another one from 1753 form the basis for several requests for donations to Jewish families and communities. Simon states that he wanted to use the money to support the community in Safed and other Jewish settlers in the Holy Land. In addition, he himself planned to settle in the Holy Land to continue his studies there and was therefore dependent on extensive funding. To what extent this can be considered a mere pretext is difficult to assess. Simon lived as an observant Jew, prayed, visited the synagogue regularly, and several reports describe how the arrival of Shabbat interrupted his travels. He undertook two more extensive journeys to the Near East, visiting Jerusalem and other cities in the Holy Land. To claim that his desire to move to the Holy Land was the main goal in his life would be as false as portraying Simon as a devout, humble pilgrim.
Adventurer
On his extensive travels Simon probably staged himself as an adventurer, not without some self-interest. His oriental clothing, which had almost become something like his trademark since his first trip to the Near East, made him undeniably interesting. This self-dramatization, his excellent education and his charming personality enabled him to build up a personal network spanning almost all of Europe. After his first stay in the Near East Simon rarely sojourned in one place for more than a few weeks, except for longer stays in Vienna, Paris and London. The skilful use of recommendation letters also enabled him to deal with the high society of his time; he consorted with intellectuals, high-ranking officials and dignitaries.
Throughout his life Simon had repeatedly tried in vain to apply for a position at one of the aristocratic houses of Europe. He financed himself mainly through the help of relatives, donations from Jewish communities, the sale of books and manuscripts. Whenever he had money, he spent it quite generously; if he had none, he relied on the vast network he had built up over the years.
Black sheep or pioneer?
It was probably this kind of lifestyle that made Simon van Geldern earn his reputation among some of his contemporaries as a kind of “black sheep” amidst a family of capable, hard-working court Jews. Only the recent examination of the numerous existing sources allows an insight into the achievements of Simon van Geldern. Towards the end of his life he had entered the service of a nobleman in a rather curious way, holding the office of court cabbalist for the Landgrave and Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt. Furthermore, he played a not insignificant role in the writing of a study by Abbé Grégoire which was later to serve as the basis for the fight for the emancipation of the Jews in France.
In conclusion, it should be noted that many of the sources available concerning Simon van Geldern are still largely unedited and unstudied.
For a more comprehensive insight read:
- Analyze Simon’s lifestyle in the context of court Judaism in the 18th century. What influence does Simon’s origin have on his position, his range of movement, his possibilities? (Read )
- What motivated Simon to travel and how did he finance himself? Analyze also how the portrayal of the different authors varies. To what extent do the receptions depend on the time of their creation?
Respond to one or more of the above questions by creating a student project as a new page describing your findings.
