Michael Reichel (ari)
In 2021, Thuringia celebrated the 750th anniversary of "Jewish Life in Thuringia". The commemorative year revealed the great enrichment that we owe to the coexistence of Jews and Christians over 700 years. At the same time, the anniversary also challenged us to come to terms with the dark chapters of anti-Judaism in our history, with the history of persecution and exclusion.
The city of Erfurt in the middle of the 14th century is an example of this. The present-day capital of Thuringia was home to a large Jewish community in the Middle Ages. On a single day in March 1349, this vibrant everyday life was wiped out and over 900 Erfurt citizens of the Jewish faith were murdered.
The lecture is dedicated to the everyday life of the Jewish community before the catastrophe of the pogrom: what role did marriage and family, education, professions and social cohesion play in the Jewish community of medieval Erfurt? But the pogrom itself, its background and its course will also be examined, as well as the stereotypical accusations to which Jews were repeatedly subjected in the Middle Ages. According to the thesis, knowledge of the past may provide orientation in overcoming the challenges of the present.
Dr. Anne Bezzel is a Protestant theologian and holds a doctorate in church history. She works as an educational consultant at the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt and as a freelance author.
Admission: 5 euros
