Jews and the German State traces the evolution of the ethnic identity, social roles, and political activities of German Jews over the century prior to the Nazi takeover. In this volume Pulzer documents the emergence of the Jews of Germany from obscurity and marginality into the mainstream of public life and demonstrates the importance of Jews in the public life of Germany. He argues that German history cannot be understood without grasping the role played by the Jewish population of Germany and proposes that study of the German-Jewish relationship can illuminate the complex roles played by minorities in modern societies.