Summary of “Jewish Suess”
There is an action in the German duchy of Württemberg, in the XVIII century. The dowry banker of the Duke of Eberhard-Ludwig and Countess von Würben Isaac Simon Landauer, an influential and wealthy man, observes the movements of the career of financier Josef Süss Oppenheimer. Landauer likes the business qualities of Suess, his enterprise and adventurism, but he does not like pretentiousness in the clothes of a young man and love for showy wealth. Suess is a man of a new generation and it seems to him that the old man, with his yarmulka and paces and observance of the Jewish principles, already looks ridiculous. Suess believes that money must be spent: for a luxurious life, for women and clothes, horses. He still does not know the feeling of power. And the old man brings pleasure, appearance in this form at the court, and advise people who need it.
The connection between Eberhard-Ludwig and the Baroness is torn. She lasted thirty years, the countess allowed herself to interfere
Karl-Alexander refers to Suess as a friend, but sometimes he could afford to mock him. Once, there is a meeting of Uncle Suess, Rabbi Gabriel with Karl-Alexander, who predicts that the prince is waiting for the crown of the prince. At that moment, the prediction seemed delusional, since the cousin and his son were still alive.
The Rabbi brings a 14-year-old daughter, Suess Noemi, to Württemberg. They settle in Girsau. Suess loved many women, but the one to whom he gave his heart died while giving birth and left him a daughter.
The day of the wedding of Karl-Alexander with the Princess Maria Augusta, Karl-Alexander changes his faith and takes the Catholic. The prediction of the rabbi comes true, he rules the duchy. Suess at the right time cats and worships. Now he is an attorney in the affairs of the duke and indulges his desires and whims. He gives
Suess believes that he rose to an unattainable height, because his father, an ordinary comedian, and mother of the singer. True, his grandfather was a respected cantor. Suess wants now to get a noble title and take the place of the first minister. He knows that if he changes his faith, everything would have happened safely in one day, but he wanted to remain a Jew and hold a fast. The wealthy Portuguese lady, whom Suess wanted to marry, set him a condition: he must achieve a noble position. Then she will marry him.
And, behold, wealth and power lead to human hatred. The persecution of Jews begins, and the reason was the trial of Ezekiel Zeligman, who was falsely accused of killing children. Landauer with the community, ask Süss to prevent the trial of an innocent person, but he does not want to interfere in this matter and his actions are not approved, he believes that he did everything for them, and did not even renounce the faith if necessary. Before the daughter of Suess, there were rumors of the atrocities of his father, and in order to justify himself in her eyes, he asked the duke to help him and release the convict. But the duke was already fed up with rumors that he was in the service of the Jews, but all the same he decided and let go of Ezekiel. Suess already imagines how the Jews will praise him, but then he receives a letter from his mother, in which she tells him that he is a Christian, illegitimate nobleman. His father is not a comedian, but Baron and Field Marshal Georg-Ebergard von Geidersdorf.
Unfold at the court of intrigue, Württemberg want to subdue Catholics. A criminal case is brought against Suess, related to his activities, but there is no evidence in the case. Suess is away, Vaisensee brings the duke to the house where Suess hides her daughter. The duke begins to impudently solicit the girl and she, rushes from the roof of the house and dies. Suess, who loved his daughter much, plans a plan for revenge for the duke. Revenge takes place on the day when the Duke organizes a plot, Suess betrays him. Unable to endure the experience, the duke dies. To the leaders of the conspiracy, to prevent consequences, he proposes to arrest himself. In court, everyone accuses Suess, and he is jailed. There, after a year in prison, he looked like an old rabbi, sat and hunched. Johann-Daniel Harprechg, an honest lawyer, reported to the regent duke Carl-Rudolph of Neuenstadt, that it was important for the investigation to judge a Jew, and not a swindler, and better let him hang illegally than he would continue to agitate the country by law. Under the cheers of the crowd, Suess in an iron cage hang.
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