Bidspirit auction | Chevlei Hamoniah VeKin'as Kel –

Chevlei Hamoniah VeKin'as Kel – Altona, 1814 – Songs of Thanksgiving on the Fall of Napoleonic Rule in Hamburg – Extremely Rare. - Chevlei Hamoniah VeKin'as Kel – Altona, 1814 – Songs of Thanksgiving on the Fall of Napoleonic Rule in Hamburg – Extremely Rare Chevlei Hamoniah VeKin'as Kel, concerning the encampment of the French army in the city of Hamburg from 1807 until 1814, by Yitzchak Zekel Frenkel of Hamburg. Altona, printed by the brothers Shmuel and Yehudah Bonn Segal, 1814. A rare work of particular historical importance, printed immediately after the end of French rule in Hamburg and the withdrawal of Napoleon’s armies from the city. The book reflects the feelings of the Jewish community in the face of the dramatic events that affected northern Germany during the Napoleonic Wars. The work contains two long poems, printed with vocalization: The first, comprising 45 stanzas, describes the years of French occupation of Hamburg, the hardships and suffering endured by the city's inhabitants during Napoleonic rule, and the hopes for liberation and redemption. The second, comprising 14 stanzas, opens with words of thanksgiving and praise to the Creator and was written as a “song of thanks to God among the congregations” upon the departure of the French army and the restoration of peace and security to the city. Between 1807 and 1814, Hamburg was under the control of Napoleon’s Empire and became one of France’s most important strategic centers in northern Europe. The present work is among the early Hebrew sources documenting these events in real time from a Jewish perspective and offers a rare glimpse into the community’s response to the political and military upheavals of the period. Beyond its literary value, the book is an important source for the history of German Jewry during the Napoleonic era, having been printed very close to the events themselves. “Hamoniah” is the Hebrew literary name for the city of Hamburg. The author, Yitzchak Zekel Frenkel, signs the book as “Ish Hamoniah” — a man of Hamburg. Extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, it has not appeared at auction for many decades. 20 pages. 19.5 cm. Printed on thick paper. Good to very good condition. Age stains.