Schnitzler's Vienna

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Ch. 8 (pp. 160-176), "Politics and the Jewish Question, " notes that these two topics are of minor importance in most of Schnitzler's works, with the exception of "Der Weg ins Freie" and "Professor Bernhardi." "Der Weg ins Freie" describes many forms of antisemitism but is mainly interested in Jewish reactions to it, ranging from unconcern to obsessive sensitivity and fear, from Zionism to identification with Austrian culture. The central character, a Gentile, through his association with Jews, comes to partly understand the bitterness of their fate. Professor Bernhardi's Jewishness makes him vulnerable to attack; other Jewish characters in the play feel that in view of this he should have considered his actions more carefully. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism)