WERNER, SIEGMUND

WERNER, SIEGMUND (1867–1928), one of Herzl's early aides and editor of Die Welt. Born in Vienna, Werner completed his studies in medicine in 1896. In his student days he was a member of national-Jewish and Zionist societies, and when Herzl came upon the scene, Werner became one of his devoted assistants. In 1897, he succeeded the first editor of Die Welt, saul landau , retaining the appointment until the middle of 1899 and reassuming the editorship for the period 1903–05. His leading articles, as well as the general policy of the paper, conformed to Herzl's views; during the uganda scheme controversy, he accorded both sides equal treatment, a policy which also coincided with Herzl's wishes. He was at Herzl's side when Herzl died and wrote a gripping description of this experience in Die Welt. Werner continued as editor until the paper was moved in 1905 to Cologne, which became the seat of Zionist headquarters. Later he moved to Iglau, Moravia, where he took up the practice of dentistry, while continuing his Zionist activities. He was the author of a book of verse (1903). Werner's exchange of letters with Herzl was published by Joseph Fraenkel in Dr. Siegmund Werner, ein Mitarbeiter Herzls (1939); his correspondence with nathan birnbaum was published in Shivat Ẓiyyon, 2–3, pp. 275–299. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Y. Lamm, in: H. Gold (ed.), Die Juden und Judengemeinden Maehrens (1929), 249–50. (Getzel Kressel) WERSES, SAMUEL WERSES, SAMUEL, (1915– ), Hebrew literature scholar and educator. Born in Vilna, Poland, Werses emigrated to Palestine in 1936, where he studied Hebrew literature, completing his doctorate in 1947. From 1953 until his retirement in 1983, he was member of the Hebrew literature department of the Hebrew University. He was awarded the Israel Prize in 1989 for research in Hebrew literature. His research focused on Haskalah and modern Hebrew literature, with an emphasis on studying literary genre as they developed and their links to world literature. Among his works are Mi-Mendele ad Hazaz ("From Mendele to Hazaz," 1982) and Haskalah ve-Shabta'ut ("Haskalah and Shabbateanism," 1988), a study of trends and forms in the literature of the Haskalah (1990), a book on Agnon (2000), and Mi-Lashon el Lashon: Yeẓirot ve-Gilgulehen be-Sifruteinu (1996). Together with Ch. Shmeruk, he edited a book on the cultural life of the Jews in Poland between the two World Wars (Bein Shetei Milḥemot Olam, 1997). A bibliography of his works was prepared by R. Schenfeld in 2002. (Fern Lee Seckbach)