While certain works are crafted with the intent of leaving an indelible mark on Jewish literature and preserving their legacy, there are instances when I encounter books that seem destined for fleeting obscurity. Quickly forgotten, their copies often relegated to the annals of time. One such tome that I recently acquired was published in Pressburg in 1825, serving as a commemorative piece marking the coronation of Princess Caroline Augusta of Bavaria.
Princess Caroline Augusta (1792–1873), who became Empress consort of Austria through her marriage to Francis I of Austria, was the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt. She wed Crown Prince William of Württemberg, later divorced him, and ultimately married Emperor Francis I of Austria. The coronation ceremony, held on September 25, 1825, at St. Martin’s Cathedral in Pressburg, saw the Jewish citizens of the city participating in the solemn event. This publication was released to honor the occasion, featuring an extensive Hebrew poem dedicated to the princess, accompanied by a German translation.
The poem was penned by Ber Oppenheimer, a prominent resident of Pressburg and a talmid chacham who authored Me Be’er, a sefer published in Vienna four years after the coronation. Oppenheimer, a descendant of the esteemed Rabbi Dovid Oppenheim, was born in 1760 in Pressburg. Alongside his brother Chaim, Ber studied at the Yeshiva of Fürth before relocating to Berlin to pursue secular knowledge. Upon completing his studies in Berlin, he returned to Pressburg, where he would eventually become a leader in the community. Me Be’er contains several teshuvos from the Chasam Sofer addressed to Oppenheimer. There are several known anecdotes about his relationship with the Chasam Sofer, which was said to have been cold. The Chasam Sofer supposedly quipped about his sefer: “Me Be’er lo nishte,” a play of the pasuk in Bamidbar (21-22), referring to the sefer as something unfit for consumption.
The most comprehensive biography of Oppenheimer was written by Isaac Hirsch Weiss in his memoir, Zichronosai. The relevant sections, initially omitted from the original edition, were later published in Genazim (Tel Aviv, 1961). Weiss, who was both Oppenheimer’s son-in-law and the nephew of the subject (sharing his name), offers an insightful monograph on Oppenheimer, detailing his relationship with the Chasam Sofer. Weiss recounts a strained relationship between the two: although the Chasam Sofer was outwardly cordial with Oppenheimer, he would speak disparagingly of him behind his back.
What caused this tension? According to Weiss, Oppenheimer himself explained that while the Chasam Sofer disapproved of his interest in secular subjects, the primary source of contention was Oppenheimer’s support for educational reforms. Specifically, his involvement in the establishment of the Primaerschule in Pressburg, a school that included secular subjects in its curriculum. Two attempts were made to establish the Primaerschule during the Chasam Sofer’s time in Pressburg. The first, in 1811, failed, but the proponents succeeded with their second attempt in 1820.
