Jewish World Heritage

In 2021, the ShUM sites in Speyer, Worms and Mainz were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Two years later, the medieval Jewish heritage of Erfurt followed suit. Alongside these internationally recognised sites, there are numerous other buildings, archaeological remains and sites commemorating different periods of Jewish history in present-day Germany. This project takes a comparative look at Jewish World Heritage Sites and a selection of other Jewish cultural heritage sites in Germany, including the MiQua/Archaeological Zone in Cologne, the former regional synagogue in Neidenstein in Baden-Württemberg, and a former Jewish school in Leer in Lower Saxony. The two participating disciplines — Jewish Studies, led by Prof. Johannes Heil, and Social and Cultural Heritage Studies, led by Prof. Thomas Schmitt — are working closely together on this project.

The project aims to identify shifts in meaning and the sociocultural and urban consequences associated with these recognitions of heritage, using qualitative and quantitative social research methods, as well as document and source analysis. Several sub-goals are linked to this. These include a comparative reconstruction of the processes that led to these recognitions of heritage. The project also examines locally varying strategies for the cultural and urban societal valorisation of Jewish-coded heritage, as well as strategies for dealing with anti-Semitic incidents. In the spirit of transfer-oriented research, the project facilitates an exchange of ideas between stakeholders in different locations. Finally, the project will explore the educational and outreach potential of the sites. Methodologically complex, predominantly quantitative surveys examine the extent to which a visit to a site may lead to changes in knowledge, attitudes and perceptions. The project design assists in identifying the similarities and differences between Jewish World Heritage Sites and other Jewish cultural heritage sites, as well as the potential 'added value' of the World Heritage title. It considers the requirements of the Jewish Cultural Heritage Priority Programme for transfer-oriented, participatory research, as well as the concept of cultural sustainability.

The Ignaz Bubis Chair of History, Religion and Culture at the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies and the Chair of Cultural Heritage at the HCCH will be working closely together on all aspects of the project. The Heidelberg University team is responsible for researching World Heritage Sites and designing qualitative and quantitative research elements, while the University of Jewish Studies team is responsible for researching other cultural heritage sites and genuinely Jewish aspects of the research.