When does the lecture The Stones Speak take place?

The lecture takes place on November 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM.

Where does the event take place?

The venue is the Sali-Levi-Haus visitor center in Mainz.

Who is giving the lecture?

The lecture will be given by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dobras, a historian and recognized expert on Mainz's urban history.

What is the content about?

The focus is on the re-erection of medieval tombstones in 1926, the origins of the memorial cemetery, and its significance for the Mainz SchUM tradition.

What is the entrance fee?

No confirmed price for admission has been found in the available event information.

Is the venue accessible for people with disabilities?

No confirmed information on accessibility has been found in the available event information.

The Stones Speak: Mainz Memory Culture between Funerary Art, History, and Jewish Tradition

Name: The Stones Speak – Lecture on the 100th Anniversary of the Mainz Memorial Cemetery
Start: 2026-11-18T18:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-18T20:00:00+01:00
Location: Besuchszentrum Sali-Levi-Haus

When Stones Preserve History: A Lecture about the Mainz Memorial Cemetery

On November 18, 2026, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dobras will dedicate himself to an extraordinary memorial site of Mainz's urban history at the Sali-Levi-Haus visitor center. The lecture The Stones Speak looks back on the 100th anniversary of the Mainz Memorial Cemetery and the re-erection of medieval tombstones in 1926.

A Memorial Site of the SchUM Tradition

A century ago, numerous medieval tombstones were re-erected in the old Jewish cemetery. Initiated by Rabbis Salfeld and Levi, this created a place where religious tradition, Jewish memory culture, and the history of the SchUM cities impressively connect. The stone testimonies refer to the long-standing significance of Mainz as a center of Jewish life on the Rhine.

Sources, Inscriptions, and Historical Urban Research

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dobras approaches the memorial cemetery based on preserved sources. As a historian and long-time head of the Mainz City Archives, he researches the urban and church history of the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. His scholarly work combines archival material, cultural-historical classification, and precise source criticism.

The focus is on the question of how medieval tombstones became a consciously designed memorial site. The examination of the work does not focus on painting or sculpture in the classical sense but on the material presence of the stones, their inscriptions, their arrangement, and their effect within a historically grown place.

Aesthetic Experience between Material and Memory

The surface of the stone, the signs of weathering, and the Hebrew inscriptions make history sensually experienceable. In the exhibition atmosphere of the lecture venue, a conceptual space is created, where architecture, funerary art, epigraphy, and Jewish cultural history meet. The stones appear as historical documents and at the same time as silent carriers of personal memories.

Cultural Education and Mainz Urban History

The lecture offers a sound introduction to the history of the memorial cemetery and the significance of the Mainz SchUM tradition. Thus, the event is aimed at those interested in history, an art and culturally open audience, as well as anyone wanting to learn about Mainz from a new perspective.

Conclusion: An Evening for the Living Memory of the City

The Stones Speak promises a concentrated art experience of a special kind: not an exhibition in the classical sense, but an insightful encounter with funerary art, sources, and memory culture. Those who want to understand the history of Jewish Mainz, the SchUM tradition, and the influence of historical places will experience cultural education with lasting aesthetic experiences here.