University of Muri

The University of Muri is the fictional university created by critic and metaphysician Walter Benjamin, and historian of Jewish mysticism and philosopher Gershom Scholem. It is a "parody of an academic institution."^[1]

The bulk of the information for this imaginary institution comes from the book edited by Gershom Scholem called Walter Benjamin: The story of a Friendship.^[2]

Fictional history[]

It was presumed to be located in Muri, Switzerland and was shut down by Benjamin and Scholem a number of times but may be still "open." In his essay "Walter Benjamin and his Angel" Scholem writes, "The guardian angel of the Kabbalah from the year 1921 has become the guardian angel of the University of Muri, in whose Transactions a "philosopher" and a "kabbalist"—who in a traditional sense were neither a philosopher nor a kabbalist—made the traditional university and its scholars the object of their derision."^[3]

While a complete course offering was never available, Scholem reports that he and Benjamin mutually agreed to put Robert Eisler in charge of a course titled, "Ladies' coats and Beach Cabanas in light of the History of Religion."^[4]

References[]

^ McFarland, James (2012-07-01). "Setting the Stage: An Introduction to One-Way Street". The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory. 87 (3): 211–216. doi:10.1080/00168890.2012.707939. ISSN 0016-8890. S2CID 191586451.
^ Scholem, Gershom, ed. (2003). Walter Benjamin : the story of a friendship. New York Review. ISBN 1-59017-032-6. OCLC 1050283525.
^ Scholem, Gershom (2012). "Walter Benjamin and his Angel". On Jews and Judaism in crisis : selected essays. Paul Dry Books. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-58988-074-0. OCLC 709681212.
^ Scholem, Gershom (2012). From Berlin to Jerusalem : memories of my youth. Paul Dry Books. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-58988-073-3. OCLC 1261130079.

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[1] McFarland, James (2012-07-01). "Setting the Stage: An Introduction to One-Way Street". The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory. 87 (3): 211–216. doi:10.1080/00168890.2012.707939. ISSN 0016-8890. S2CID 191586451.

[2] Scholem, Gershom, ed. (2003). Walter Benjamin : the story of a friendship. New York Review. ISBN 1-59017-032-6. OCLC 1050283525.

[3] Scholem, Gershom (2012). "Walter Benjamin and his Angel". On Jews and Judaism in crisis : selected essays. Paul Dry Books. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-58988-074-0. OCLC 709681212.

[4] Scholem, Gershom (2012). From Berlin to Jerusalem : memories of my youth. Paul Dry Books. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-58988-073-3. OCLC 1261130079.

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