Rosenzweig, Franz

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Rosenzweig, Franz (1886–1929). German Jewish theologian. He was born into an assimilated family, and, as a young man, he was much influenced by a relative, E. Rosenstock-Huessy, with whom he conducted a correspondence, later published in part. Under this influence, Rosenzweig contemplated converting to Christianity, but in 1913, after attending a High Holy Day Service, he resolved to remain faithful to Judaism. Influenced by Herman Cohen and Martin Buber, and while still a soldier in the First World War, he wrote Der Stern der Erloesung (1921; tr. W. W. Hallo, The Star of Redemption, 1971). After the War, Rosenzweig founded the Freies Juedisches Lehrhaus (‘The Free Jewish House of Learning’) for assimilated Jews to study the Jewish classics. From 1921, he was afflicted with progressive paralysis, but he continued to work translating Judah Halevi's poems, and, with Martin Buber, he started translating the Hebrew scriptures. This project was completed by Buber after the Second World War.

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