Judenhof — SchUM and Medieval Jewish Scholarship
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Transcript
The Judenhof preserves the remains of Speyer’s medieval synagogue complex and one of Europe’s oldest surviving monumental mikvaot, or ritual baths. Together with Jewish sites in Worms and Mainz, Speyer forms the UNESCO-listed SchUM ensemble, named from the Hebrew names of the three cities.
These communities became major centres of Ashkenazi religious learning and law. Speyer’s Jewish residents also participated in long-distance trade and urban economic life. That prominence did not protect them from violence. Crusade-era attacks, later persecution and expulsions repeatedly shattered Jewish continuity. The site is important because it preserves both intellectual achievement and vulnerability.