The Memoirs of Jakob Meyer offer a precious account of what Jewish soldiers experienced during the Napoleonic wars. Written in German in 1836–1838, they were translated into French and published, thanks to the work of Ernest Kallmann and Françoise Lyon-Caen (J. Meyer, Jakob Meyer, soldat de Napoléon. Mes aventures de guerre, 1808–1813 [Paris 2009]). The narrative of Meyer’s experience is a unique testimony of the way Jewish soldiers experienced their being Jewish, while indicating the way in which Jews reacted to wars. From his idealistic enlistment in the army, driven by hopes of emancipation, to the disaster of the Russian campaign and retreat, we follow Meyer, who seems to get closer to Jewish communities and his Jewish identity, while the dislocation of the Grande Armée makes these communities’ help increasingly more valuable. This narrative can be interrogated through the anthropological categories of ‘Jewish Warrior’ and ‘War Jew.’

《雅各布·迈耶回忆录》对拿破仑战争期间犹太士兵的经历提供了宝贵的记录。由于 Ernest Kallmann 和 Françoise Lyon-Caen (J. Meyer, Jakob Meyer, soldat de Napoléon. Mes aventures de guerre,1808-1813 [巴黎 2009]）。迈耶经历的叙述是犹太士兵体验他们作为犹太人的方式的独特见证，同时表明了犹太人对战争的反应方式。从他在解放希望的驱使下理想主义的入伍，到俄罗斯战役和撤退的灾难，我们跟随迈耶，他似乎更接近犹太社区和他的犹太身份，而大陆军的错位使这些社区的帮助越来越有价值。这种叙述可以通过“犹太战士”和“战争犹太人”的人类学类别来审问。