Jewish life in Eastern Europe yesterday and today

The thematic focus “Jewish life in Eastern Europe yesterday and today” highlights facets of Jewish history and culture in Eastern Europe and provides insights into current research. Edited by Heidi Hein-Kircher, Igor Kąkolewski, Martina Niedhammer, and Eva Reder, it brings together contributions that reveal the diverse expressions of Jewish life in the past and present.

The main focus lies on Eastern Europe as a historical cultural region in which Jews have lived and shaped religious, economic, and cultural contexts in cities and shtetls since the Middle Ages. The contributions address the profound ruptures of the 20th century—from the Shoah and forced migrations to the new beginnings after 1945—as well as forms of continuity, remembrance, and the revival of Jewish culture.

All contributions appear in bilingual form (German/English) and are published via the portal Copernico – History and Cultural Heritage in Eastern Europe (copernico.eu). The thematic focus invites readers to rediscover Jewish history in Eastern Europe in all its historical richness and contemporary relevance.

At the same time, it offers insights into current research and forms of presenting Jewish cultural heritage in Eastern Europe.

Credits: Photo of a Jewish school class in Breslau in 1938. The photo is from the private collection of Gerda Bikales, née Bierzońska, and is used in the film “We Are Jews from Breslau.” (c) Karin Kaper Film