On Revolution, Emigration, and Identity: A Rare Glimpse into Jewish Life in 1848

Issue six with an article by Leopold Kompert calling for emigration to America.

In 1848, Europe was on fire.

From Paris to Prague, revolutionaries took to the streets, demanding freedom, equality, and democratic reform. For many Jews across the Habsburg Empire, these uprisings sparked real hope: that this time, finally, they might be recognized as equal citizens. It was in this climate that the Oesterreichisches Central-Organ für Glaubensfreiheit, Cultur, Geschichte und Literatur der Juden—a mouthful of a name, but a bold little newspaper—began publication in Vienna.

Edited by Isidor Busch, a printer, editor, and future grocer and winemaker in Missouri, the Central-Organ tells a gripping story of Jewish idealism, deepening identity, and disillusionment. At first, it embraced the revolution’s promise, insisting Jewish rights would follow naturally from broader civic freedoms. But anti-Jewish riots in places like Bohemia, Posen, and Alsace led to a sobering shift. The paper’s stance changed dramatically: if liberty wouldn’t come in Europe, maybe it could be found in America.

Isidor Busch, printer, editor and, later in life, a viticulturalist in Missouri.

That shift birthed what became known as the “On to America!” movement. The paper began advocating emigration to the U.S., where civil rights were (relatively) secure and the horizon felt open. Editorials by figures like Leopold Kompert and Simon Szántó made emotional and philosophical arguments for leaving Europe behind. They didn't just report on emigration, they helped organize it.

"The editorial shift of the Central-Organ deserves to be considered as one of the most interesting positional changes in the history of the Jewish press", as Evyatar Friesel argues.

But this weekly didn’t stop at politics. It critiqued the Jewish elite, questioned the role of Rothschild-style capital in Jewish life, advocated for modern Jewish education, and navigated the charged waters of religious reform and national identity. Through it all, the journal remained fiercely Jewish, and fiercely modern. Notably, issue 27 opened with an article by the renowned Rabbi Abraham Geiger (1810-1874), the founder of Reform Judaism, praising German culture and the concept of Bildung.

For today’s collector, this is more than a periodical. It’s a time capsule of Jewish thought at a revolutionary crossroads. A voice from a moment when everything seemed possible—until it wasn’t. And now you can hold it in your hands. We’ve just listed a partial run (over 32 issues) of this rare Jewish radical journal from 1848.

Sources

Evyatar Friesel, 'The Oesterreichisches Central-organ, Vienna 1848: A Radical Jewish Periodical Get access Evyatar Friesel', in: The Leo Baeck Institute Year Book, Volume 47, Issue 1, January 2002, pages 117–149.

Issue 27 with a little known article by famous Rabbi Abraham Geiger.