The Warsaw muncipality today decided to rename a certain section of Dzika Street, Ludwig Zamenhof Street, after the founder of Esperanto, the universal language. Zamenhof was born in Bialystok but later moved to Warsaw where he studied medicine and later practiced as an oculist. In 1887 he published his famous brochure under the pen name of “Doktoro Esperanto,” doctor hopeful.
The idea of an international tongue came to Dr. Zamenhof from the polyglot character of his native town. In compiling his universal language he appeared to have regard for the needs of his Yiddish-speaking co-religionists. At one time he was an ardent Zionist.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.