Heinrich Heine: The Predicament of a Cultural Pluralist‪.‬

Heinrich Heine provides an example JLof the multiculturalism of a prominent German Jew of the nineteenth century, who can serve as a prototype not only of his time and place but also of the social-cultural phenomenon at large. A reflective and creative master of prose and poetry, he encountered the European culture, on being emancipated, or believing to have been emancipated, and faced a civilization, or civilizations, competing with his own traditional culture. Such an encounter has never been free of problems--both political-external and [+ or -] j ological-internal. They may have differed in each case depending on time and place, and the reaction has been peculiar and distinctive in each case. Yet there remain some common features of these phenomena (as looked at by society) or such experiences (as encountered by the individuals concerned), and the presentation of a prominent case like Heine's offers guidance into the exploration of other--perhaps less colorful-examples. It should also stimulate reflection cons of multiculturalisni ralism--the summing up be left to the reader. on the pros and or cultural plu of the balance to be left to the reader. The Wandering Jew