Martin Buber

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Lore & Background

Martin Buber was born in Vienna on 8 February 1878 to an Orthodox Jewish family. He was a direct descendant of the 16th-century rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen. After his parents' divorce when he was three, he was raised by his grandfather in Lemberg. At home, Buber spoke Yiddish and German. A personal religious crisis led him to break with Jewish religious customs; he began reading Immanuel Kant, Søren Kierkegaard, and Friedrich Nietzsche, which inspired him to pursue studies in philosophy. In 1896, he went to study in Vienna (philosophy, art history, German studies, philology). In 1898, he joined the Zionist movement, participating in congresses and organizational work. In 1899, while studying in Zürich, Buber met his future wife, Paula Winkler, a Catholic writer who in 1901 left the Catholic Church and in 1907 converted to Judaism. In 1930, Buber became an honorary professor at the University of Frankfurt am Main, but resigned in protest immediately after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. He then founded the Central Office for Jewish Adult Education. In 1938, Buber left Germany and settled in Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine, receiving a professorship at Hebrew University and lecturing in anthropology and introductory sociology. In 1947, he was forced to flee his home in Abu Tor, Jerusalem, due to the advance of the Arab Liberation Army. After the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, Buber became the best known Israeli philosopher. He died at his home in the Talbiya neighborhood of Jerusalem on 13 June 1965.

Reader's Guide

Martin Buber's significance lies in his philosophy of dialogue, which distinguishes between I–Thou (relational, mutual encounter) and I–It (objectifying, instrumental experience). This framework influenced social psychology, social philosophy, and religious existentialism. As a cultural Zionist, Buber promoted 'Hebrew humanism' and argued that Zionism should focus on social and spiritual enrichment rather than solely political goals. He disagreed with Theodor Herzl on this point, yet worked within the Zionist movement for nearly 50 years. In 1902, Buber became the editor of the weekly Die Welt, the central organ of the Zionist movement. In 1925, he was involved in the creation of the organization Brit Shalom, which advocated the creation of a binational state. Buber's writings on Hasidic tales, Biblical commentary, and metaphysical dialogue, along with his advocacy for Jewish-Arab cooperation, mark his legacy as a thinker who sought to integrate universal human concerns with Jewish national identity. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature ten times and the Nobel Peace Prize seven times.

Did You Know?

• Martin Buber was a direct descendant of the 16th-century rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen.
• Karl Marx is another notable relative of Buber.
• Buber was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature ten times and the Nobel Peace Prize seven times.
• In 1925, Buber began translating the Hebrew Bible into the German language.
• Buber's wife Paula Winkler was a Catholic writer who converted to Judaism in 1907.