Opera on the Move in the Nordic Countries during the Long 19th ...

Rachel the Jewess in Copenhagen
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out the converted poet, Ludwig Börne, as a rare instance of someone who
had indeed ceased to be a Jew. Obviously, however, it is not just the simple
fact that Börne “formally” converted to Protestantism that qualified him,
in Wagner’s eyes, to be considered a fully assimilated German – effectively
a non-Jew – for the formal act of conversion was clearly not enough in the
cases of Mendelssohn, Heine and others. In order to really stop being a Jew,
a mythical transformation like the one experienced by the Flying Dutchman
was needed: “Die Erlösung Ahasvers” (ibid.). While Wagner obviously expressed
a rather radical point of view, which may not have been uncommon,
but which at the same time was certainly not unanimously shared by all of
his contemporaries, 18 his essay may still serve as a reminder that conversion
would not automatically result in broad cultural acceptance and that
Jews would not necessarily stop being considered “Jewish” simply because
they were baptised. 19
On the other hand, this statement should probably be balanced against
other testimony. Martin Schwarz Lausten, for instance, quotes the late
nineteenth-century historian, Marcus Rubin, for stating that the effect of
conversion for Danish Jews in the early nineteenth century was that they
became “equal to their Christian co-citizens and were in the future neither
troubled with obstacles on their path, nor met with rude or delicate
Hep-greetings”. 20 While this is not, to be sure, a statement which belies
or belittles the existence of widespread anti-Semitic sentiments in Danish
culture in the early nineteenth century (quite the contrary, in fact), it does
represent the attitude that for some, such anti-Semitic sentiments did not
amount to defining Jewish identity as a practically inescapable, “deep” cultural
identity, as in Wagner’s analysis, but that anti-Semitism was simply an
expression of dislike of the Jewish religion and its overt symbols .
To sum up, then: If Pauline Rung was never identified as “Jewish”, this
may reflect the simple fact that she was baptised a Christian and married
Henrik Rung in a Danish church. Still, Pauline’s southern, dark looks seem
to have been associated naturally, and with positive connotations, with the
Jewish identity of Rachel in Jødinden. 21 What remains to be considered is
whether this association may also have had a musical side.
18 Cf. also Peter Tudvad’s analysis of Søren Kirkegaard’s anti-Semitic thinking in the
context of contemporary Danish culture (Tudvad 2010).
19 Cf. note 16 above.
20 ”…ligestillede med deres kristne Medborgere og vare i Fremtiden hverken udsatte
for Hindringer paa deres Vej eller for grovere eller finere Hepraab.” (Schwarz Lausten
2005, 506)
21 It might be added that I have come across no indication that Pauline or Henrik
Rung shared the anti-Semitic sentiments of many of their contemporaries. Henrik