Workshop | 23. March 2026

Objects with a Past. Jewish Studies between the Library and Digital Showcase. Workshop on Sources of Jewish Cultural Heritage in Saxony

Call for Applications

A cooperation of NFDI4Culture, the Saxon State Library Dresden, the Buber-Rosenzweig-Institut für Jüdische Geistes- und Kulturgeschichte der Moderne und Gegenwart (Goethe University Frankfurt am Main) and the Association for Jewish Studies in Germany 

Organized by Martha Stellmacher (SLUB Dresden) and Tilmann Gempp-Friedrich (Goethe University Frankfurt am Main)

Date: 23-26 March 2026

Venue: SLUB Dresden

Application deadline: 1 December 2025

Abstract: On the occasion of the Year of Jewish Culture in Saxony in 2026, we invite 12 graduate students and scholars of Jewish Studies to research sources and their object biographies from the collections of the Saxon State Library. The results will be presented in an online exhibition and a scholarly publication.

The Saxon State Library (Sächsische Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden - SLUB) holds a considerable amount of Judaica, Hebraica and Yiddish prints and manuscripts even though there is no explicit Judaica collection. Objects such as scrolls, a torah wimpel, photographs, and estates related to Jewish contexts can also be found in the catalogs. A large part of this collection dates back to the Electoral or Royal Public Library, while other parts have been added to the collection more recently.

The workshop, which will take place as part of Tacheles – Year of Jewish Culture in Saxony in 2026, aims to provide an insight into the diverse holdings and enable participants to work with them. Including the expertise of the SLUB collection departments, representative objects will be selected to showcase the 900-year history of Judaism in Saxony in a subsequent online exhibition. The objects will be described in the workshop with their object biographies. The aim is also to take a closer look at their provenance in order to contextualize and evaluate them historically.

Participants will be familiarized with the basics of exhibition design, object presentation, provenance research, and the specifics of presenting objects from a Jewish context after the Shoah. The workshop is designed as a hands-on workshop accompanied by experts and intensive exchange. A publication of the results in depth following the workshop is planned.

The selection of objects can be based on your own research background and personal preferences, but should definitely be discussed with the workshop leaders in advance. A search guide is available here: https://cloud.nfdi4culture.de/s/kc7YFtarF66ZLCS.

The collections include manuscripts, prints, estates and documents, photos, and audio/video material. The souces cover the period from the 11th to the 21st century and include theological writings, prayer books, community publications, music, photos of synagogues and community life, legal sources relating to the Jewish population, eyewitness videos, etc.

Suitable fields of research include:

• Biographical research
• Institutional history
• Art and culture
• Ritual objects
• Judaica of Christian theologians
• Jewish life in specific regions/cities
• Community history
• Synagogues in Saxony

The workshop leaders are available at any time to provide advice on the holdings and help select suitable objects.

Cost: Subject to funding approval, travel and accommodation costs may be covered if the home institution does not provide funds for this purpose.

Application: Please apply by 1 December 2025 via this form: https://cloud.nfdi4culture.de/apps/forms/s/GMMqanQCxtZj4aFFM9K6kfe9 including a short CV, a description of your research interests or current project and possibly an object that you want to research at the workshop. We accept up to 12 participants, a relationship to Jewish Studies or Jewish topics is required. Master's students and doctoral candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

In case of questions please contact: martha.stellmacher[at]slub-dresden.de oder t.gempp-friedrich[at]em.uni-frankfurt.de