‘The point was to dehumanise’: London Holocaust archive examines world’s first ‘viral’ antisemitism scandal
Summary
The Wiener Holocaust Library in London is opening an exhibition about the Dreyfus affair, which began after French army captain Alfred Dreyfus was wrongly convicted of treason in 1894. The exhibition presents about 40 items that show how newspapers, journals and posters spread antisemitic attacks and arguments over his innocence.Key Facts
- Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French army captain, was wrongly convicted of treason in 1894.
- The affair prompted a surge of newspaper specials, journals, posters and other publications.
- The Wiener Holocaust Library’s exhibition includes about 40 items related to the affair.
- Some of the items came from the library’s founder, Alfred Wiener; others were collected later or loaned by Birkbeck, University of London.
- The Musée des Horreurs poster series caricatured prominent supporters of Dreyfus.
- The French government shut down publication of the poster series after about a year, deeming the images too grotesque.
- The rightwing newspaper La Libre Parole reported that Dreyfus was guilty and featured antisemitic imagery.
- Dreyfus was exonerated in 1906, promoted and awarded the Légion d’honneur.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
