London Holocaust archive links Dreyfus affair to first viral antisemitism scandal
The Guardian reported that curators at the Wiener Holocaust Library in London are examining what they call the world’s first "viral" antisemitism scandal.
The Guardian reported that curators at the Wiener Holocaust Library in London are examining what they call the world’s first "viral" antisemitism scandal. Barbara Warnock, a co‑director of the oldest Holocaust archive, said, "It was the world’s first experience of antisemitism ‘gone viral’".
The exhibition focuses on the 1894 Dreyfus affair, a public shouting match that followed the wrongful conviction for treason of Alfred Dreyfus, a 36‑year‑old French army captain. At the time, printing presses were faster than ever and France’s prohibitive censorship laws had been lifted, allowing anti‑Jewish sentiment to spread rapidly.
Curators argue that the episode illustrates how new media technologies can be weaponised to dehumanise a community, echoing patterns of anti‑Jewish hatred seen today. The archive’s analysis aims to trace the historical roots of modern hate campaigns by showing how the Dreyfus affair set a precedent for mass‑disseminated antisemitic propaganda.
Why it matters
The project shows how early mass media amplified anti‑Jewish hatred, offering a historical lens on today’s online hate.
Key details
- Location
- United Kingdom · Europe
- Reported by
- The Guardian
- First reported
- Key names
- London Holocaust, Alfred Dreyfus, Wiener Holocaust Library, Weiner Library It
- Section
- World
- Figure cited
- France’s prohibitive censorship laws had been lifted, and then along came the Dreyfus affair: a public shouting match that followed the wrongful conviction for treason of Alfred Dreyfus, a 36-year-old French army captain. (The Guardian)
Sources
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