Herzl's mother, JEANETTE (née Diamant), was a handsome and wise woman. She took pride in her son, but did not have a successful relationship with her daughter-in-law. She also encouraged Herzl in the pursuit of his Zionist work, although she knew that due to his weak heart, her son would not be able to withstand for long the many vicissitudes of his hectic life, and she foresaw his early death.

German was the language that prevailed in Herzl's parental home in Budapest, although this did not imply any sense of identification with German national aspirations. Neither did his parents support the ambitious Hungarian nationalism, and this may have been one of the reasons for their move to Vienna. (On the other hand, Herzl's maternal uncle, Wilhelm *Diamant, was an adherent of the Hungarian national movement and served as an officer in the Hungarian Revolutionary Forces in 1848-49).