Wir Joseph der Zweiter...[Edict enjoining the Jews of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to adopt German names]

(AUSTRIA).

n.p.

Vienna

July 23rd, 1787

Generally considered a tolerant ruler, Emperor Joseph II passed various forms of legislation designed to assimilate the Jews of the realm into Austrian-Hungarian society. While applauded by the modernists among the Jews as a step in the right direction, the more traditionalist segment of Jewish society would have viewed this, as other such measures, with consternation lest it spell the end of their singularity as a people. The Jews were given until the end of the year 1789 to adopt not only German surnames, but first names as well. "For example, Schaul Töplitz [a Hebrew first name together with a German surname] is absolutely forbidden" (par.2)