Old New Land
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Theodor Herzl, Old New Land, bahai-library.com.
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Herzl's original handwritten manuscript of Altneuland
CONTENTS
Originally published by Bloch Publishing Company,
New York and Herzl Press, 1960

Third Printing, 2000
Preface                                v
©Copyright 1997 for the updated introduction by Jacques Kornberg
©Copyright 1941 and 1960 by Bloch Publishing, Inc. for the
translation by Lotta Levensohn.                                          Translatar's Introduction         xxxzzz
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or             BOOK ONE
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission             An Educated, Desperate Young Man       3
of the copyright owners.

For information write to: Markus Wiener Publishers                    BOOK TWO
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
Haifa, 1923                           53
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Herzl. Theodor, 1860-1904.                                            BOOK THREE
[Altneuland. English]                                             The Prosperous Land
Old new land = (Altneuland) /Theodor Herzl; translated
from German by Lotta Levensohn: with a new introduction
by Jacques Kornberg.
Originally published: New York: M. Wiener, 1Yl:l i, in series:   BOOK FOUR
Masterworks ofmodernJewish writing senes.                             Passover
ISBN 1-55876-160-8 (pb)
I. Jews-Fiction. I. Levensohn Lotta. II. Title.
PT2617.E825A63 1997
823'.8-dc21                                             97-12366    BOOK FIVE
CIP           Jerusalem                           247
Photos from the Herzl Archives, New York and Jerusalem
Printed in the United States
PREFACE

A variety of motives pushed Herzl to write Old-New Land.
Utopians novels were a popular genre in the late nineteenth
century, and Herzl hoped to gain converts to Zionism. But in
addition, pouring his thoughts and feelings into a novel was
creative relief for Herzl the balked playwright, convinced he
had given up a prominent career in German letters by devoting
himself to the Jewish cause. Finally, the novel was an affair
between Herzl and his conscience, a refuge of utter honesty
from the compromises of day-to-day Zionist politics.
In the nineteenth century, images of the ideal society conveyed through novels had spurred influential political movements. Etienne Caber's Voyage en Jemie (1840) had led to a
well-organized political movement among French artisans. As         >
the century advanced, the appeal of the utopian novel only
increased. Samuel Butler's Erewhon (1872) was followed by
Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward, 2000-1887 (1888), the
Austrian Theodor Hertzka's Freeland: A Social Image of the
Future (Frei/and: Ein soziales Zukunflbild) (1890) and William
Morris' News f«om Nowhere (1890). Freeland went through ten
editions in five years and gave rise to Freeland associations in
Germany and Austria which sought to purchase land in Africa
to realize the ideal society. Herzl wished for not equal but
greater success.'
Still, Herzl's choice of the genre needs more explanation, for
he had previously considered the utopian novel an inappropriate literary expression for a statesman and man of action. When

v
VI                            PREFACE
PREFACE                            Vil
he first read Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward, Herzl had
scoffed at it as an "ideal fancy'" The Utopian genre functioned         day-to-day Zionist coalition politics and recklessly set out on an
best as a critique of society; the more it distanced itself from the    intransigent assertion of his own vision of Zionism. If his
real world, the "more amusing" it was. But for Herzl Zionism            political hopes were in disarray, at least he would retain the
integrity of his convictions. In the end Herzl payed a price for
was not an "ingenious fantasy," that is to say "a novel." He conhis challenge, for the publication of Old-New Land unleashed a
cluded in 1895 that a report on "The Condition of the Jews,"
bitter debate in the Zionist press. The debate was launched by
would best evoke the immediacy and realism that suited his
Ahad Ha-Am's critique of Old-New Land in Ha-Shilo'ah in
political goals.' Later, when writing Old-New Land Herzl saw his
December, 1902, and soon engaged prominent Zionists in
novel no differently. In a draft of a letter to Lord Rothschild
bitter controversy. The vehement tone of the debate threataccompanying a copy of the book, Herzl put his misgivings
ened to rupture the alliance between East European and
starkly: "I realize all the dangers it holds for me, namely that
Western Jewry and destroy the universality of the Zionist
they will once more revile me for being a 'dreamer of dreams.'
movement. All sides retreated from the brink, but the publica-
[in English in the original) But I had to chose this entertaining
tion of Old-New Land ended up strengthening the hand of
form because I want it to be read." 4
Herzl's Zionist opposition.6
However, his foray into ideal fantasy offered Herzl something more than a wide readership. Behind the protective shield                                          II
of the fictional form, less binding than speeches and resolu-                To understand why Herzl's novel provoked such opposition,
tions, or at least easier to disclaim or qualify, Herzl expressed         its ideological tendency must be understood. In composing a
his own vision of Zionism in its purest, most uncompromising              utopian novel, Herzl was engaged in nationalist mobilization
form. The novel was something removed from the sphere of                  through myth-making. Nineteenth century utopias were
day-to-day political tactics, a creative personal catharsis amidst        based on the premise that for the first time in human history
his political difficulties. On June 3, 1900, Herzl wrote in his           science, technology and industry would enable humanity to
diary: "Shall we hear a categorical no from Yilduz [the Sultan's          fully master its natural and social environment. These utopias
palace)? If this came, I would resume work on my novel                    were powerful political instruments, promising to end once
Altneuland. For then our plan will be only for the future and a            and for all age-old oppression and injustice, and to gratify agenovel." On March 4, 1901 he linked Old-New land to his polit-              old longings for satisfying labor and self-fulfillment.
ical reversals and faltering time-table. "I am now industriously             Old-New Land was not a blueprint for the settlement
working on Altneuland. My hopes for practical success have                of Palestine. With its free farmers and agricultural co-operanow disintegrated. My life in no novel now. So the novel is my            tives, Old-New Land bears a superficial resemblance to the
life." 5                                                                  schemes of Franz Oppenheimer, an influential German-Jew-
Anticipated political failure was bitter, but also liberating.          ish economist whom Herzl brought into the Zionist move-
Reacting to the prospect, Herzl abandoned the constraints of               ment in 1901. In his proposals for Jewish settlement, spelled
OLD-NEW LAND                                                    HAIFA, 1923                        57
kind. We no longer have customers for it. No one comes        captain laughed_ heartily. "Where do you come from, sir?
here who wants good cigars-there are only sailors who         Have you never seen a newspaper or a time table?"
ask for chewing tobacco and cheap cigarettes."                   "I shouldn't say never, but several years have passed ...
"How is that possible?" asked Kingscourt. "Where are       We know Palestine as a forsaken country."
all the tourists on their way to India and Australia and         "A forsaken country ... good! If you choose to call it
China?"                                                       that, I don't mind. Only I must say you're spoiled."
"Oh, there have been none here for many years. They          "Listen to me, captain," cried Kingscourt. "We'd like
now travel by the other route."                               to offer you some good wine .... We're a pair of damned
"Another route?" cried Friedrich. "What other route?      ignorant wretches. We've thought of nothing but our own
Not the Cape of Good Hope?"                                   pleasure for twenty years. Now, then, what's happened to
The dealer was annoyed. "You choose to laugh at me,        that old Palestine?"
sir. Every child knows that people no longer travel to Asia      "You could get to Palestine in less time than it would
via the Suez Canal!"                                          take to tell you about it. Why not make a slight detour if
Kingscourt and Friedrich looked at each other in amaze-     you've a couple of days to spare? If you wish to leave your
ment. "Of course, every child knows it," shouted Kings-       yacht, you'll find fast boats to all the European and Americourt, "but you must not think us ignorant if we've not        can ports at Haifa and Jaffa."
heard of this damned new canal!"                                  "No, we don't leave our yacht. But we could make the
"Just get out, will you!" The Greek pounded furiously       detour, Fritze. What do you say? Do you want to take anon his counter. "First you tease me about expensive cigars,    other look at the land of your blessed ancestors?"
and then you make these stupid jokes. Get out!"                   "Palestine attracts me as little as Europe. It's all one to
Kingscourt wanted to reach across the counter to whack       me."
They headed for Haifa. The coast of Palestine rose on
the Greek over the head. But Friedrich drew the old hotthe horizon on a spring morning following one of the mild,
spur away. "Kingscourt, big things that we don't know
soft nights common in the eastern MPciiterranean . They
about have happenc.i wliiic -we've been away."'
stood together on the bridge of the yacht, and stared ste:::.d
á~1 bdicVt SU myself, Devil take me! Well, 'we must find
ily through their telescopes for ten whole minutes, looking
out about it at once!"
always in the same direction.
Returning to the harbor, they learned from the captain
"I could swear that that was the Bay of Acco over there,"
of a German trading vessel that traffic between Europe and     remarked Friedrich.
Asia had taken a new route-via Palestine.                         "I could also swear to the contrary," asserted Kingscourt.
"What?" asked Friedrich. "Are there harbors and rail-        "I still have a picture of that Bay in my mind's eye. It was
ways in Palestine?"
empty and deserted twenty years ago. Still, that's the
"Are there harbors and railways in Palestine?" The           Carmd on our right, and to our left is the town of Acco."
58                        OLD-NEW LAND                                                              HAIFA, 1923                          59

"How changed it all is!" cried Friedrich. "There's been                    Kingscourt and Friedrich were spellbound. Their
a miracle here." á                                                        twenty-year-old map showed no such port, and here it was
As they approached the harbor they made out the details                 as if conjured up by magic. Evidently the world had not
with the help of their excellent lenses.                                  stood still in their absence.
Great ships, such as were already known at the end of                      They left the yacht and entered a landing boat, in which
the nineteenth century, lay anchored in the roadstead be-                 they were rowed through the swarming ships to the quay.
tween Acco and the foot of the Carmel. Behind this fleet                  They exchanged impressions in abrupt, broken phrases.
they discerned the noble curve of the Bay. At its northern                   The boat drew in at the stone steps of the dam. As they
end, the gray fortress walls, heavy cupolas and slender                   came up the steps, they noticed a young man who was
minarets of Acco were outlined in their beautiful ancient                 about to go down to an electric launch that waited for him.
Oriental architecture against the morning skies. Nothing                  He, in turn, catching sight of them, stopped short and
had changed much in that skyline. To the south, however,                  stared at Friedrich with wide-open eyes. He seemed thunbelow the ancient, much-tried city of Haifa on the curve                  derstruck.
of the shore, splendid things had grown up. Thousands of                     The old man noticed his behavior and growled, "What
white villas gleamed out of luxuriant green gardens. All                  does this fellow want? Hasn't he ever seen two civilized
the way from Acco to Mount Carmel stretched what                          people before?"
seemed to be one great park. 1 The mountain itself, also,                    "That can hardly be the case," smiled Friedrich. "The
was crowned with beautiful structures. Since they were ap-                people on this quay seem more civilized than we do. It's
proaching from the south, the promontory at first obscured                more likely that we look old-fashioned to him. Just look
their full view of the city and the harbor. When, at last,                up at that cosmopolitan traffic in the streets. And all the
the landscape was revealed to them in its entirety, Kings-                well-dressed people! Seems to me our clothes are a bit out
court's "Devils!" became legion.                                          of date."
A magnificent city had been built beside the sapphire-                     They instructed their boatman to wait for them at the
-á blue Mediterra.m~an.. _The rna.e-nificent stone dams showed                landing pl:>re, .aPd ascended "'':"''.' st0!!'.' steps leading up
the harbor 2 for what it w;isá the 5<>fest and most com•er!ient            ta the high-lying street where they h:ld seen the traffi::
port in the eastern Mediterranean. Craft of every shape                    from the water's edge. They thought no more of the
and size, flying the flags of all the nations, lay sheltered              stranger who had stared at them so fixedly. However, he
there.                                                                     followed them and tried to overhear what language they
1 Beautiful residential suburbs on the summit and slopes of Mount         were speaking. Soon he had caught up with them; and the
Carmel verify Herzl's forecast of "one great park." The lower town has      next instant he strode a step in front of them and faced
been developed as an important commercial center.
2 Built by the British Mandatory Administration in 1934 and enlarged
about.
by the State of Israel, Haifa is the country's main port and also one of       "Sir!" stormed Kingscourt. "What is it you want with
the great ports of the Eastern Mediterranean.
us?"
-- Old New Land (Used by permission of the curator)