Manes Sperber i zagrebački ljevičarski intelektualci

Abstract

Manes Sperber, rođen 27. januara 1905. u galicijskom gradiću ("Schtetel") Zablotovu, bježao je sa svojom obitelji 1916, kad se austrougarsko-ruski front opasno približavao njegovom rodnom mjestu. Ortodoksna židovska obitelj odlučila je potražiti utočište u samom glavnom gradu Monarhije, nadajući se zaštiti od pogroma Židova, zbog kojeg je carska Rusija bila na zlu glasu, a u dječakovoj je svijesti ostavio duboke tragove: sela u plamenu, jecanje žena i djece, siromaštvo i neimaština, bezakonje. Bio je književnik, romanopisac, esejist i kulturolog jedan od posljednjih mislilaca porijeklom iz židovske i austrougarske tradicije. Manes Sperber nije nikada krio to postanje, premda ga je prerastao postavši "evropskim misliocem". Manes Sperber se, naime, kretao u krugu zagrebačkih lijevo i komunistički opredjeljenih intelektualaca, prenoseći im individualnu psihologiju. U citiranim Krležinim sjećanjima, Sperber se spominje kao začetnik individualne psihologije Alfreda Adlera (Beč) u Zagrebu. Njegovi sugovomici i recipijenti su zagrebački liječnici, fizičari, književnici, partijski radnici, istaknuti komunistički aktivisti i simpatizeri KPJ. Manes Sperber bio je i ostao Židov, vjeran baštini što ju je naslijedio od svoje ortodoksne židovske obitelji: svijest da on potječe iz duboko "spiritualne kulture", iz svijeta "Svete knjige" i obaveze trajnog proučavanja, premišljanja i propitkivanja; što se crpi iz te knjige dužnost je da se živi pravedno i istinito. Ponukan jačanjem antisemitizma ne samo u Beču nego diljem Evrope, Manes Sperber postaje cionist. Tom je opredjeljenju ostao vjeran, unatoč mnogobrojnim lomovima i kolebanjima, ali i unatoč pokušajima da se definitivno razračuna sa svojim židovskim nasljeđem.

Manes Sperber, born on January 27, 1905, in the Galician small town ("Schtetel") Zablotov, was fleeing with his family in 1916 when the Austro-Hungarian-Russian front was dangerously approaching his hometown. An Orthodox Jewish family has decided to seek refuge in the capital of the Monarchy, hoping to protect themselves from the pogroms of Jews due to which imperial Russia was notorious; it left profound traces in the boy's consciousness: villages in flames, sobbing women and children, poverty and lawlessness. He was a writer, novelist, essayist and cultural scientist, one of the last thinkers of Jewish and Austro-Hungarian tradition. Manes Sperber never hid his becoming, though he grew to get a "European thinker". Manes Sperber, in fact, moved in the circle of the left-wing and communist-minded intellectuals in Zagreb, conveying individual psychology to them. In Krleža's memoirs quoted, Sperber is mentioned as the founder of the individual psychology of Alfred Adler (Vienna) in Zagreb. His fellow compatriots and recipients are Zagreb physicians, physicists, writers, party workers, prominent communist activists, and communist sympathizers. Manes Sperber was and stayed a Jew, true to the heritage that he succeeds from his orthodox Jewish family: an awareness that he originates from a deeply "spiritual culture", from a "Holy Book" world, and an obligation to study, reflect and question continually; what is drawn from that book is the duty to live righteously and truthfully. Driven by the rise of anti-Semitism not only in Vienna but across Europe, Manes Sperber becomes a Zionist. He remained true to this commitment, despite his many breaks and hesitations, and despite his attempts to definitely reckon with his Jewish heritage.