Gedächtnis und Erinnerung in der jüdischen Geschichte

Overview & Synopsis

The articles illustrate the significance of memory and remembrance in Jewish history and historiography from antiquity to the present day, in all their diversity. The remembrance of persecution and the commemoration of the victims of catastrophes are deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and run through all historical periods. Contributions on biblical and rabbinic texts demonstrate the significance of remembrance right up to the present day. The diverse range of studies thus provides insight into the changes and ruptures that have occurred in memory throughout Jewish history, and how memory and its significance have evolved. The focus is not only on remembrance and memory as such, but also on their significance in historiography or the reinterpretation of historical events within the context of cultural memory. A key focus of the volume is Swiss Jewish history, and in particular the discourses on remembrance surrounding the Second World War and the extermination of European Jews.