Jews between city and country: A look at Erfurt's migration history

Jews between city and country: A look at Erfurt's migration history

As part of the history festival “Weimar Rendez-vous with History”, an important panel discussion will take place on November 1st to 3rd, 2024, which will deal with Jewish history in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. This event is held in the Small Synagogue in Erfurt and focuses on the different lives and circumstances of Jewish people in urban and rural environments.

The social and legal situation of Jewish communities was characterized by strong fluctuations. In various regions of Europe, Jews experienced periods of either toleration or brutal persecution, depending on the political conditions. This meant that Jewish communities were occasionally forced to change their places of residence or to settle in certain areas. Over the centuries, striking differences developed between urban and rural Jews that are worth examining in more detail.

Insights into the Jewish world

Curator Maria Stürzebecher will begin the event with a special tour of one of the oldest surviving Jewish sites, the Old Synagogue. This tour aims to highlight the essential aspects of medieval Jewish life in Erfurt. Stürzebecher will focus in particular on the migration history of the Jewish community, which led to the recognition of the inner-city ensemble as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The tour is followed by a panel discussion in which well-known experts take part. Among them is Dr. Sophia Schmitt, historian at the Ludwig Maximilian University, who worked intensively on the Jewish minority in Regensburg in the 15th century in her doctorate. Other participants include Dr. Jörg Müller from the Arye Maimon Institute for Jewish History at the University of Trier, who deals with the life of the Jewish population in medieval Germany.

The discussion will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Sabine Schmolinsky, who teaches at the University of Erfurt and whose research also focuses on interreligious coexistence in the Middle Ages. This compilation of experts promises to provide exciting insights into Jewish history and its social relevance.

The event begins with the tour at 5:00 p.m., followed by the panel discussion at 7:00 p.m. The topics addressed here are not only of historical relevance, but also offer valuable perspectives on current social challenges and perspectives.

For a deeper discussion of these topics and their significance for Judaism's past and present, those interested should not miss this unique opportunity. Further details on this discussion series are available on www.erfurt.de.