Badenheim 1939
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| Author | Aharon Appelfeld |
|---|---|
| Original title | באדנהיים עיר נופש (translit.: Badenhaim `ir nofesh) |
| Translator | Dalya Bilu |
| Country | Israel |
| Language | Hebrew |
| Genre(s) | Allegorical, Satire, Historical novel |
| Publisher | David R Godine (translation) |
| Released | 1978 |
| Released in English | November 1980 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 144 pp (translation paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-87923-342-7 (translation hardback edition) & ISBN 0-7043-8026-9 (translation paperback edition) |
Badenheim 1939 is the first novel by Israeli author Aharon Appelfeld. First published in Hebrew in 1978 as באדנהיים עיר נופש (Badenhaim `ir nofesh), it was soon translated in to many other languages. Badenheim is an allegorical satire that tells the story of a fictional Jewish town in Austria shortly before its residents are relocated to the Polish concentration camps.
[edit] Plot summary
Badenheim is a primarily Jewish resort town in Austria that hosts a yearly arts festival, organized by Dr. Pappenheim. Slowly, the Nazi regime, represented by the "Sanitation Department", begins shutting down the town and preparing to move its residents to Eastern Europe. The citizens begin blaming each other and losing their minds. Despite impending doom, others remain optimistic and refuse to see the coming Holocaust.
[edit] Characters in Badenheim 1939
- Dr. Pappenheim – festival organiser
[edit] Literary significance and criticism
Some critics have attacked Appelfeld for his negative portrayal of the characters, claiming that by doing so the text is implying that the European Jews were somehow deserving of their fate. Others have analyzed the text as a Zionist piece, as it criticizes the lack of unity among the Jews of Badenheim.[citation needed]
