When does the lecture take place?

The lecture takes place on Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM.

Where does the event take place?

The venue is the vhs Mainz at Bauerngasse 8, 55116 Mainz.

What is the admission fee?

The fee for the event is 15 Euros.

Who introduces the topic?

Birgit Kita, managing director of the SchUM Cities Association, introduces the topic.

What topics are covered in the lecture?

The history of the SchUM communities in Speyer, Worms, and Mainz, their significance for Ashkenazi Judaism, as well as the turbulent history between intellectual flourishing, exchange, exclusion, and persecution are covered.

Is registration required?

Registration by November 10, 2026, for course number XH14103 is recommended.

SchUM Sites Lecture Mainz 2026

Name: Lecture: The SchUM Sites of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz (UNESCO World Heritage)
Start: 2026-11-19T18:15:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-19T19:45:00+01:00
Location: vhs Mainz

SchUM Sites: A Journey to the Roots of Ashkenazi Judaism

Over more than a thousand years of European history, the lecture leads to the SchUM sites in Speyer, Worms, and Mainz. The three cities are considered the cradle of Ashkenazi Judaism and represent a unique spiritual, religious, and cultural heritage. On November 19, 2026, the vhs Mainz invites you to a well-informed encounter with this significant historical legacy.

Three Cities, One Spiritual Center

The name SchUM connects the medieval Hebrew initials of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz. In these communities, an influential Jewish scholarship developed, whose impact extended far beyond the borders of the cities at the time. The lecture highlights the emergence of this cultural landscape and contextualizes its significance for the history of Judaism in Germany.

Between Flourishing and Persecution

The SchUM sites do not tell a one-dimensional success story. Their cultural memory preserves testimonies of intellectual flourishing, religious exchange, and mutual enrichment, as well as exclusion, persecution, and loss. This very tension gives the topic its historical and social relevance.

Historical Sources and Cultural Memory

The focus is on the preserved testimonies of the SchUM communities and their significance for today's cultural discourse. The event combines historical contextualization with a vivid presentation of Jewish traditions, medieval scholarship, and the question of how the culture of remembrance is continued in the public space.

An Expert Introduction

Birgit Kita, managing director of the SchUM Cities Association, will introduce the topic. Her introduction promises a concentrated connection of expertise, historical orientation, and cultural mediation. The format within the framework of the SchUM Cultural Days is aimed at anyone interested in Jewish history, UNESCO World Heritage, Mainz city history, and European culture of remembrance.

Conclusion: Understanding History Immediately

The lecture at the vhs Mainz opens an informed access to a heritage that resonates into the present. Visitors can expect a literarily and historically stimulating educational experience about language, faith, knowledge, and the fractures of European history. Those who wish to understand the SchUM sites not only as UNESCO World Heritage but as a living cultural memory should experience this event in Mainz.