Johannes Heil in Mainz: Lecture on Myths and Jewish Pogroms in the Middle Ages
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When Historical Myths Unleash Violence: Jewish Pogroms in the Middle Ages
How do narratives that inscribe themselves as supposed certainties into the collective memory arise? The lecture series Myths in Mainz will focus on a particularly consequential chapter of European history on December 10, 2026. At the Erbacher Hof, Prof. Dr. Johannes Heil from Heidelberg will speak about “God Murder and Well Poisoning” as well as Jewish pogroms in the Middle Ages between 1096 and 1348/49.
Myths as Historical Challenges
The lecture will examine those anti-Jewish legends that contributed to social exclusion, persecution, and violence in the Middle Ages. The accusation of the so-called God Murder and the blame of well poisoning were not harmless narrative patterns: They condensed religious enemy images into political and social mechanisms of scapegoating.
The focus is on a historical analysis of language, transmission, and power. The event questions how narratives are created, who spreads them, and under what conditions rumors give rise to collective violence. It is the connection between mental history, antisemitism research, and urban history that gives the evening its particular scientific and social relevance.
A Lecture Series Between Urban History and Memory Culture
The twelve-part series Myths in Mainz examines well-known transmissions of Mainz's history and puts them to the test of historical research. The topics range from the founding of the city, Roman stage theater, and Gutenberg to modern fake news. The evening with Johannes Heil illuminates how closely local history, religious worldviews, and European memory culture are interconnected.
The reading atmosphere on this evening gives way to a concentrated lecture atmosphere: The focus will be on precise historical classification, critical source work, and the question of the power of language. The literary experience lies in the engagement with inherited narrative forms, whose rhetorical power and destructive consequences become visible.
Historical Knowledge Against Established Enemy Images
The terms in the lecture title refer to centuries-old anti-Jewish stereotypes. Their analysis makes it clear that myths are not only born from fantasy but also take on functions in religious, social, and political conflicts. Historical expertise creates distance from such narratives and opens a differentiated view of the mechanisms of prejudice, conspiracy narratives, and persecution.
Prof. Dr. Johannes Heil, a historian from Heidelberg, brings these perspectives into a scientifically grounded context. For literature and history enthusiasts, a broader author encounter arises: Not a fictional plot is at the center, but the linguistic and cultural construction of reality.
Conclusion: An Evening for Critical Remembrance
The event at the Erbacher Hof promises an informative evening about medieval Jewish pogroms, anti-Jewish myths, and the historical responsibility of remembrance. Those who want to understand how narratives become social reality will experience an important contribution to the cultural discourse in Mainz. Attending the lecture series opens an analytical view of history—and sharpens awareness of the power of language in the present.
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