Insiders and Outsiders addresses various aspects of Jewish and Gentile interaction since the development of the German-Jewish literary and cultural identity in the early nineteenth century.

Containing the work of prominent scholars, critics, and journalists involved with German-Jewish studies from around the world, this ambitious anthology of literary and cultural criticism suggests a reevaluation of important cultural and literary issues, including the problem of cultural diversity with regard to German-speaking countries and the question as to what constitutes German cultural identity in multicultural central Europe.

This volume highlights the centrality of the Jewish presence in the heart of German and Austrian culture as well as the important role German culture played in Jewish society. While most previously published studies emphasize either the grandeur of German-Jewish achievement or the tragedy of these two cultures in contact, Insiders and Outsiders examines both the failures and the successes of this tense and troubling relationship.

It suggests that rather than being the product of a nurturing multicultural environment, the achievements of German-Jewish intellectuals and poets grew out of friction, unrest, and discomfort.