Spa Antisemitism

Spa antisemitism – postcards of prejudice in Bohemia

By Lawrence

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the fashionable spa towns of Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) and Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad) became international resorts for health and leisure – and centers of a phenomenon historians call spa antisemitism. Jewish visitors formed a significant share of guests, yet while their money was welcome, their presence was mocked and resented.^[1]

Postcards as a visual weapon

Thousands of postcards from the 1880s to the 1930s caricatured Jewish spa guests. Two simplified types dominated: the thin Ostjude in a crumpled kaftan with side-locks, and the wealthy, overweight assimilated Jew. Common motifs included exaggerated noses, garlic breakfasts, frantic toilet queues, animalization (pig snouts, vulture-to-banker “evolutions”), oversized hand gestures implying scheming, and before-and-after “weight cure” jokes.^[1]

Beyond paper

The stereotypes spilled into three-dimensional souvenirs such as the ceramic group Karlsbader Idylle (three Jews on a bench), tin ashtrays, and decorated bowls. Newspaper cartoons in Czech and German echoed the same themes. Even some Jewish-owned shops stocked these cards, showing the era’s messy economics.^[1]

Why it mattered

Summer brought a facade of tolerance for business reasons, but hostility simmered. Signs like “No Jews allowed” or “Jews tolerated only under pressure from the authorities” appeared, and clubs expelled Jews. The postcards normalized mockery and helped entrench prejudice in everyday life.^[1]

FAQ

What is spa antisemitism?

Localized antisemitism in Central European spa towns (1880s–1930s) combining commercial hypocrisy with social exclusion.

Why postcards?

They were the mass medium of the day and spread ridicule worldwide.

Key stereotypes?

Dirty or greedy Ostjude, overweight assimilated Jew, toilet humor, animal traits, exaggerated gestures.

Where are these cards now?

German Historical Museum (Berlin), Jewish Museum Vienna, and private collections.

References

1. Eva Janáčová, Spa Antisemitism in Bohemia and Moravia, De Gruyter, 2020. DOI link.
2. See also Salo Aizenberg, Hatemail; Frank Bajohr, Unser Hotel ist judenfrei.