Theodor Herzl writes to Otto von Bismarck and concludes the last three articles of his essay collection, The Palais Bourbon. He departs from Paris, relocating to Vienna and assuming the role of literary editor for the Neue Freie Presse. During the summer in Altaussee, Herzl embarks on journeys to London and Paris for negotiations.
In Paris, he successfully recruits physician Max Nordau but encounters skepticism from the Chief Rabbi of France, Zadok Kahn and, the vice-president of the Alliance Israélite Universelle, Narcisse Leven. In London, Herzl presents his ideas at the Maccabean Club. He receives suggestions from author Israel Zangwill to meet with British figures such as Chief Rabbi Hermann Adler, Rabbi Simeon Singer, and politician Samuel Montagu. Herzl also meets Colonel Albert Edward Goldsmid, the leader of the English Hovevei Zion.
Upon his return, Herzl revised his “Address to the Rothschilds”, which later evolved into Der Judenstaat, heralding the concept of the Jewish State. He encounters proto-Zionist Leon Pinsker’s Auto-Emancipation for the first time, writes his initial testament and literary will, and publishes The Jewish State. Herzl engages with Austrian journalist Nathan Birnbaum for the first time. Dr. Reuben Bierer, chief rabbi of Sofia, holds Herzl in such high regard that he considers him the Messiah. Herzl encounters Reverend William Hechler, the Chaplain to the British Embassy in Vienna, marking a significant interaction. The Vienna Hovevei Zion resolutely call for the realization of the Jewish State’s program. The diary concludes with Herzl meeting Philip Michael Ritter von Newlinski, known for his political connections in Constantinople, potentially signifying new avenues for Herzl’s endeavors.
