Minnie Goldman’s Wedding Gown and Accounting Ledger and Mayor Rachmiel Mises’s Patent of Nobility both evoke wonder about how these important objects worked within their lives and communicated their social standing. The Patent of Nobility commemorates Mayor Mises’s economic achievements and he was presented with this Patent of Nobility in 1881 when he was ennobled by Franz Joseph I of Austria. The importance of this object highlights the rarity of acknowledged nobility amongst Jewish citizens in Austria at the time. This then becomes significant not only to the individual who received this coat of arms, but also to the Jewish community as a whole. Likewise, because this gesture was unheard of, the significance and honor that this bestowed upon Mises would have been indescribable for him.
This honor was contradictory because of the infamous 1938 persecution of Jews in Vienna, which drove 60,000 people from their homes, including Mayor Mises, leaving over 200,000 trying to flee and 65,000 people murdered. Yet, despite the treatment that Mises and countless other Jews faced in Vienna, which included the denial of citizenship, property, and lives, the patent symbolizes Mises’s unwavering identification with being an Austrian citizen. It then becomes incased in wonder: why did Mises take this object after being expelled from Austria? How important was this object for Mises to keep it rather than understanding it as an object that highlights the turn of events in Austria?
The same argument can be applied to Minnie Goldman’s Wedding Gown, which is lovingly worn and aged, but remains highly symbolic of an important moment in her life. This is seen in the care and exactitude with which she conducted her Accounting Ledger that details the expenses of her wedding. Although seemingly personal, this Wedding Gown has just as much impact on the Jewish community as the Patent of Nobility. She initially intended to donate it to the young women in Israel who could not afford a wedding dress. Borrowed and passed on, the gown becomes a communal gesture acknowledging the importance of every woman’s wedding day. Although the dress never made its way to Israel, it found its way instead to this Museum where it fulfills a similar role. In juxtaposing it with the Patent of Nobility, the amount of significance that a wedding dress can represent is preserved.
Although differing in size, scale, and historical importance, each object gives an insight into the gendered dynamics of what is considered important and who is allowed to engage in history and participate within the community. Both in their grandeur and their powerful interactions, these objects evoke wonder and reflection on how objects have multiple stories to tell their viewers.
