Rom und Jerusalem, die letzte Nationalitätsfrage, Briefe und Noten, von M. [Moses] Hess. Leipzig: Eduard Wengler, 1862. German and some Hebrew. 1st edition.
"Rome and Jerusalem, the last National Question, Missives and Notes".
Moshe (Moses) Hess (1812-1875), author, philosopher and socialist, one of the founding fathers of the socialist movement in Europe, of the first Zionists, and generator of the Zionist socialism. Hess published essays, founded and edited social periodicals with a socialistic agenda.
Together with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels was one of the founders of the Allied Communist Party. After alienating himself for many years from Judaism he went through a radical transformation in view of the 1848 revolutions and the movements to unite Germany and Italy which made it clear to him that the national aspect is central in modern existence. In 1861 he completed his book "Rome and Jerusalem". At first he could not find a publisher but in 1862 he managed to publish the book in Leipzig. In this book, Hess introduces a Zionist theory, opposes assimilation and calls Jews to settle in Eretz Israel and to resume a life of labor. XVI, 239, [1] pp, 18 cm. Hard cover, no original cover. Good-fair condition. Significant spotting. Title page and some other leaves are partly detached. Signature in pen on title page.