On November 4 and 5, 2024, an interdisciplinary conference on the prevention of anti-Semitism was held at the University of Tübingen, organized by the Cooperative Interreligious Research Network for Religious Education under the direction of Prof. Dr. Fahimah Ulfat, Prof. Dr. Reinhold Boschki, and Prof. Dr. Friedrich Schweitzer.

The central question of the symposium was whether and to what extent anti-Semitism prevention relies on empirical research to ensure its long-term effectiveness. It also addressed the question of what form of empirical research is appropriate in this case. The current educational landscape offers a wide range of programs for the prevention of anti-Semitism, but so far there have been only isolated empirical studies on which measures are actually effective and which could potentially have unintended effects. The reluctance of politicians to promote empirical research also presents an obstacle. These uncertainties highlight the need for research that reveals the success and challenges of preventive educational work in the field of anti-Semitism.

During the conference, approaches to measuring the effectiveness of prevention and intervention measures in various contexts were examined. Discussions focused on the question of how anti-Semitism-critical educational measures can be anchored and improved in teaching and learning contexts, especially in religious learning environments.

The two days of the event were divided into several presentations followed by discussion rounds. The dialogue between the participants emphasized the relevance of empirical research findings for optimizing educational measures against anti-Semitism. Finally, the impression remained that the exchange on empirically based anti-Semitism prevention needs to be further deepened.

The conference made a decisive contribution to raising awareness of the importance of empirical evidence in this area and promoting interdisciplinary cooperation.

More information in the Flyer: Flyer to the Conference: Preventing anti-Semitism—empirical research? (PDF)

Authors: Lea Deschler & Moritz Sacherer

Link to the Edition: Antisemitismusprävention Juni 2024. For more information, please refer to the table of contents of the edition (PDF) and the editorial of the edition (PDF).

With a lesson plan on: Die Zukunft liegt in unseren Händen?! Elie Wiesels Weckruf wider die Gleichgültigkeit. (The future lies in our hands?! Elie Wiesel's wake-up call against indifference.)

Poster award ceremony at the Baden-Württemberg Foundation's research day on June 25, 2024:  Link to the research day: „Vertrauen, verstehen, verändern? – Gesellschaftliche Akzeptanz von Wissenschaft“ („Trust, understand, change? – Social acceptance of science“) 

Since the deadliest attack on Jewish life since the Shoah on October 7, open anti-Semitism has reached unprecedented levels in Germany. At the same time, the reservations between Islamist, anti-imperialist, and self-proclaimed progressive circles are steadily diminishing. As a result, Islamism is being trivialized and anti-Semitism related to Israel is spreading. This is leading to a radicalization with serious consequences, which poses a particular threat to Jews.

In Civil Society Situation Report #13, we focus on these anti-Semitic alliances that trivialize terror and smear cultural institutions and businesses with red triangles, the symbol of the Islamist Hamas, which uses them to mark enemies and potential targets for attacks. The past few weeks, well beyond October 7, have shown that these alliances lead to blatant anti-Semitism. For months, this has posed a threatening and dangerous situation for Jews in Germany, which threatens to turn into terror against Jews sooner or later. The situation report is also available digitally and can be downloaded as a pdf: Edition: „Zivilgesellschaftliches Lagebild Antisemitismus #13“ (PDF)

Our key observations:

1. For Jews, the situation since October 7 has been catastrophic, even in the diaspora. Safe spaces are becoming fewer and the threat level is dramatic. Israel-related anti-Semitism is spreading, fueled by an alliance of Islamism and anti-imperialism.

2. In its fight against the State of Israel, the anti-imperialist left is renewing its long-standing alliance with Islamists. In the disputes surrounding the Hamas terror of October 7, 2023, there was a renewed fusion of anti-imperialist and Islamist anti-Zionism. Groups from both camps stand side by side, their demonstration slogans merging into one another.

3. Right-wing extremists are exploiting the fight against anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel in order to openly promote their racism everywhere. The reactions after October 7, 2023, have once again shown that parts of the extreme right have an instrumental relationship with Jews and hostility towards them. AfD & Co. use the glorification of Hamas terror as an opportunity to spread racism.

4. Hatred of Israel creates identity Talk of and demands for unconditional solidarity with Palestine repeatedly lead to Israel-related anti-Semitism and ultimately also mean support for Palestinian terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the PFLP, which poses a threat to democracy. It offers an opportunity to construct a common identity that transcends divisions.

5. Social media plays a decisive role in alliance building The groups and networks of the anti-imperialist left and Islamism are very active on social media. Some use manipulative framing and disinformation to stir up sentiment against Jews and the State of Israel. Anti-Zionist influencers in particular use this dynamic to spread hate speech.

Source: Link to Amadeu-Antonio-Stiftung

„Intertwined Memories“ – In woven objects, there is always an intertwining and overlapping, a coexistence and interdependence. Only in this way can their shared connection be maintained. In our pluralized and globalized society, precisely such structures are evident. For the memories of a wide variety of people with their diverse histories and traditions intertwine with one another and pose significant questions for society and theology.

This was the backdrop for the workshop „Memoria Passionis in Times of Intertwined Memories,“ which took place on April 8–9, 2024, in collaboration with the departments of Dogmatics, Practical Theology, Religious Education (Elie Wiesel Research Center), the Institute for Political Science, and Islamic Religious Education. With the “memory of the suffering of others” (J.B. Metz), the question was how the diverse memories of our society can be preserved, discussed, and connected with one another. The connection between theological perspectives from different denominational and religious traditions and interdisciplinary perspectives from colonial and Holocaust research was discussed. The focus was particularly on pluralization, globalization, and post-migrant society, new forms of religious fundamentalism and nationalism, and the examination of the colonial past, which was largely ignored in the first generation of theology after Auschwitz. These changed social, cultural, and ecclesiastical conditions call for a creative and self-critical continuation of the culture of remembrance.

Both days began with a keynote lecture followed by a discussion. In a second part, three thematic impulses offered complementary and new perspectives, which were discussed from various angles during the workshop and stimulated further reflection and thought.

At the end of the workshop, the impression remained that different interconnections in memory could be discussed, but that their significance and questions for theological remembrance need to be further developed. The two days thus served as an intensive stimulus to continue working on these challenges critically and exploratively, both theologically and interdisciplinarily.

Further information on the lectures and the program can be found in the flyer: Flyer to the Workshop „Memoria Passionis in times of intertwined memories“ (PDF)

Authors: Lea Deschler, Moritz Sacherer, Franziska Moosmann, Laura De-Giorgio

On January 9, 2024, Dr. Michael Blume, the anti-Semitism commissioner for the state of Baden-Württemberg, was a guest at the Theologicum. The topic of the evening, „Anti-Semitism in our society,“ led to a lively exchange in the packed lecture hall of the Theologicum. After a welcome by the dean of the Catholic Theology Faculty, Prof. Dr. Andreas Holzem, the vice-rector of the University of Tübingen, Prof. Dr. Karin Amos, gave a welcoming address. The high level of interest in the event demonstrated the topicality and importance of the subject, said Amos. This was followed by a lecture by Dr. Blume, who studied and earned his doctorate in Tübingen. In his lecture, Blume emphasized that the danger of anti-Semitism should not be underestimated and appealed for a change in oneself in particular in order to push back anti-Semitism. He expressed his message with reference to Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and his novel The Night.

The subsequent panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Claudia Guggenmoos (keb Reutlingen), led to exciting insights and an interesting exchange with the audience. Guests included Susanne Jakubowski (Council of Religions in Stuttgart & IRGW), Prof. Dr. Jean Ehret (LSRS), Dr. Asher Mattern (Jewish-Islamic Research Center), and Alon Bindes (JSUW).

Throughout the evening, all speakers emphasized the importance of talking with each other and not just about each other. This enabled a fruitful and informative dialogue to take place.

The event was organized by the Faculty of Catholic Theology in cooperation with keb Reutlingen and Tübingen, KHG Tübingen, and LSRS.

Authors: Lea Deschler & Jessica Oppelcz

Dr. Blume's blog entry and his lecture script can be found here: Link to the blog entry and script to the lecture of Dr. Blume

On December 12, 2023, students and interested parties had the opportunity to meet Ernst Grube and learn about his story. After a brief introduction by moderator Birgit Mair (ISFBB), the Shoah survivor, who joined via Zoom, first told the participants about his childhood in Munich as a half-Jew. Grube took the audience on a journey through his memories, starting in 1938. This year was significant for him, on the one hand because of Kristallnacht. On the other hand, his family was torn apart when he and his two siblings were sent to a Jewish children's home.

The children spent three and a half years there before being transported to the Milbertshofen ghetto in 1942. After this barracks camp was dissolved, they were taken to a monastery complex and lived there for about six months until it was also dissolved. In 1943, there was a turning point when he and his siblings were reunited with their parents, who were living in two small rooms in Munich. In February 1945, the mother and children were deported to the completely overcrowded Theresienstadt concentration camp. He recounted how German soldiers fired into the camp and how he survived this situation only by sheer luck. On May 8, 1945, the concentration camp was liberated. The Grube family survived and was able to return to their father in Munich.

Grube's lecture was followed by a lively discussion, which continued in numerous conversations even after the official event had ended. The eyewitness talk with Ernst Grube was organized by the KHG Tübingen in cooperation with the Institute for Social Science Research, Education and Consulting (ISFBB) e.V. and the Elie Wiesel Research Center.

Authors: Lea Deschler and Jessica Oppelcz

On December 1 and 2, 2023, students from the University of Tübingen visited the Buchenwald Memorial as part of the seminar „... Leaving Traces“ – Silence and the Impossibility of Remaining Silent. Jorge Semprún and Elie Wiesel in Conversation. We took a guided tour to get an overview of the memorial and, together with Mr. Ronald Hirte, an employee of the education department at the Buchenwald Memorial, we explored the former concentration camp. After dinner, we had the opportunity to look at the files of prisoners Elie Wiesel and Jorge Semprun, whose personalities were the subject of the seminar, in the library.

The following day, we took a closer look at individual areas of the concentration camp and learned more about them. Among other things, we visited the prison, the crematorium, the infirmary, and the locations where the former barracks were set up—including those of Wiesel and Semprun. We also reviewed Wiesel's visit to the memorial site in 2009. The tour of the concentration camp ended with a visit to the museum, where the history of the camp was brought to life and original objects from the everyday life of the prisoners were on display.

Outside the concentration camp was a horse stable, which was later used to murder soldiers of the Red Army. This action clearly showed how much planning and systematicity went into the killings. This systematicity could be found in numerous areas of the concentration camp.

The two-day excursion with Dr. Migge provided many moving and insightful impressions. These were revisited and further discussed in later conversations within the seminar group. The entire seminar was held in cooperation with Dr. Daniel Barreto from the Instituto Superior de Teología de las Islas Canarias and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

To mark the 100th anniversary of Jorge Semprún's birth, the Buchenwald Memorial organized a lecture and discussion on the topic of Jorge Semprún: A European Life in the 20th Century. Further information can be found here.

Authors: Lea Deschler & Sabrina Nadler

On May 6, 2023, scholarship holders from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation studying at the Universities of Tübingen and Mannheim spent a day learning about the topic of „Deconstructing Conspiracy Theories.“ As part of this topic, there was first a panel discussion on researching these so-called conspiracy theories through a change of perspective, prevention within the framework of a project in schools, and the prevention of anti-Semitism in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Following this theoretical input, the workshop phase began, in which the scholarship holders first worked with Dr. Elisabeth Migge on general aspects of anti-Semitism and then specifically on the life of Elie Wiesel and excerpts from his works „Night“ and „Tides of Silence,“ allowing the scholarship holders to establish initial contact with the Elie Wiesel Research Center.

Together, we discussed the difficulties surrounding anti-Semitism when it is addressed in public discourse by comedians, for example. The excerpts from Elie Wiesel's works clearly showed how important it is to prevent anti-Semitism and to take a stand against all forms of hatred and exclusion.

We would like to thank Dr. Elisabeth Migge for this very impressive and realistic insight into the effects of anti-Semitism, which once again demonstrated how necessary and urgent it is to deconstruct conspiracy myths and work on prevention.

Author: Kathrin Wache

On May 5, Professor Reinhold Boschki visited the synagogue in Hechingen with students from the University of Tübingen as part of the lecture series „Theoretical Foundations and Diverse Locations of Religious Education.“ The reason for the excursion was a project organized by the Berufliches Schulzentrum Hechingen (Hechingen Vocational Training Center). As part of their religious education classes, the students had studied Elie Wiesel and his work The Night in depth. As a concluding event, the students read the book The Night to each other in the synagogue that morning. The synagogue, which was destroyed in 1938, was restored by the citizens of Hechingen and now serves as a place of culture and remembrance. This event was accompanied by a filmmaker from New York who, in his documentary film about Elie Wiesel, explores how young Germans deal with autobiographical narratives about Auschwitz.

Elie Wiesel, a „witness for humanity.“ Who was Elie Wiesel (1928–2016)? As a teenager, he survived the Holocaust, wrote numerous literary works, taught at Boston University, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for his commitment to peace, reconciliation, and human dignity.

Elie Wiesel was born in Sighet (then Hungary, now Romania) into a Hasidic Jewish family. In the spring of 1944, Sighet was declared a ghetto and the Wiesel family was deported to Auschwitz. Only he and two of his three sisters survived the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel was liberated from the small camp in Buchenwald on April 11, 1945.

After a decade, he broke his silence and put his experiences in the camps into words for the first time: in 1956, his Yiddish testimony „…un di velt hot geshvign“ (And the World Remained Silent) was published, which, in abridged form, established his fame as a writer in 1958 as „Night.“

From 1956 onwards, Elie Wiesel lived in the USA, where he wrote many works commemorating the victims of the Shoah and questioned the responsibility of God and man for evil. He was an advisor to US Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan as chairman of the Washington Holocaust Commission. Elie Wiesel was particularly committed to the rights of Jews in the Soviet Union.

Elie Wiesel died on July 2, 2016.

Valesca Baert-Knoll and Dr. Elisabeth Migge, two research assistants at the Elie Wiesel Research Center, presented this and much more to the university groups in Tübingen and Heidelberg last Thursday evening. After a wonderful introduction to his life and work, everyone engaged in conversation about excerpts from „The Town Beyond the Wall“ and a new translation of „Night.“

The passages by this impressive and modest man left no one in the group untouched, and a wonderful and personal exchange ensued.

On July 12, 2022, the Elie Wiesel Research Center presented a new translation of the work „Night: A Memoir and Testimony“ to the press. The work by Shoah survivor Elie Wiesel (1928–2016) is one of the best-known literary testimonies of the Holocaust and has been retranslated on a scientific basis by researchers at the Elie Wiesel Research Center and other contributors. This has corrected terms that had previously been translated incorrectly. A specially created glossary explains Jewish terms as well as camp language and Nazi terms, and a map shows the key locations in Elie Wiesel's life. The new translation in paperback format is also intended to contribute to the education of teenagers and young adults. The guest speaker was Dr. Michael Blume, the state government's commissioner against anti-Semitism, who emphasized the importance of „Die Nacht“ in terms of remembrance and its potential impact on people today. The new translation of „Night“ was reported on at the regional (Schwäbisches Tagblatt), national (Jüdische Allgemeine), and international (Leo Baeck Institute – New York) levels.

The Elie Wiesel Research Center presented its current projects in a poster presentation at the Baden-Württemberg Foundation's 22nd Research Day on the topic of „The Mission of Science?!“ The Baden-Württemberg Foundation's Research Day is a key event in the field of research funding, attended by distinguished guests from the worlds of science, business, and politics, which aims to provide a forum for networking and knowledge transfer for all projects funded by the foundation.

The poster focused on the significance of Elie Wiesel's complete works for the culture of remembrance and human dignity in the face of the enduring challenge of anti-Semitism. Accordingly, the focus was on the research center's recently published new translation of Elie Wiesel's Die Nacht (Night). This testimony about the death camps has been translated into more than 40 languages and has had an impact on the establishment of a culture of remembrance that cannot be underestimated. For the first time, the new translation also included the Yiddish „original version“ ...un di velt hot geshvign and the Hebrew manuscript, which enabled a re-Judaization of the text and was appreciated by Elie Wiesel's son, Elisha Wiesel. Elisha Wiesel prefaces the new translation with a foreword which, similar to the poster's message, emphasizes the importance of Elie Wiesel's written testimony in the fight against anti-Semitism and for a reflective culture of remembrance.

„More than five years have passed since my father died, but his words have never been more important than they are now. It is still common to hate Jews in the name of left-wing or right-wing ideologies. Our world continues to be dominated by violence. I am grateful that this new German translation is being made available to a new generation of readers so that the lessons of Night can continue to work against evil.“

Elisha Wiesel

On June 20, 2019, the annual conference of the Elie Wiesel Research Center (FEW) took place at the Riverside Hotel Berlin. The conference focused on planning the upcoming first publication of the German translation of „…un di velt hot geshvign.“ Marion Eichelsdörfer, a certified Yiddish scholar who is translating „…un di velt hot geshvign“ into German as part of her dissertation project, shared her latest research findings with the FEW and presented excerpts from her translation. The team discussed how the research center will comment on and edit the upcoming new publications of Elie Wiesel's complete works. In this regard, Prof. Reinhold Boschki presented the current status of the new translation of „La Nuit.“ We hope to begin publishing Elie Wiesel's autobiographical writings, starting with „…un di velt hot geshvign,“ in the fall of 2020.

In addition to the scientific exchange of content, two international conferences were planned for 2020 and 2021, which will be hosted by the FEW in Berlin/Potsdam and Tübingen.

The Elie Wiesel Research Center held an international symposium from September 3 to 5, 2019, in Berlin at the Selma Stern Center for Jewish Studies Berlin-Brandenburg on the topic of „The Genesis of Night.“ Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Daniel Krochmalnik (University of Potsdam) and Prof. Dr. Reinhold Boschki (University of Tübingen), we welcomed our guest and keynote speaker Dr. Yoel Rappel, Director of the Elie Wiesel Archive at Boston University. The first two days focused on exchange and discussion between the Elie Wiesel Research Center (FEW) and our guest Yoel on the genesis of the survival report Night. The symposium was supplemented by accompanying presentations by individual members of the FEW on the current status of their research. Marion Eichelsdörfer presented excerpts from her translation of Un di Welt hot geshwign, and Valesca Baert-Knoll presented the editorial approach to the upcoming new edition of Wiesel's autobiographical writings within the planned Elie Wiesel Works Edition (EWW).

The conference concluded with a visit to the Buchenwald Memorial, the place where Elie Wiesel began writing his survival report. Yoel Rappel first met Elie Wiesel in New York in 1983. It was there that the foundation was laid for their later academic collaboration—Rappel worked for many years as Wiesel's research assistant—and their close friendship.

Rappel later founded the Elie Wiesel Archive at Boston University and served as its director for many years. Through his close collaboration and years of professional engagement with Wiesel's writings as a journalist, historian, and author, Rappel was able to provide us with new and deeper insights into the genesis of Night.

This is of great importance for one of the FEW's current main areas of research, the new translation and edition of Night and the first translation and edition of Un di Welt hot geshwign, the more extensive Yiddish version of Night. One of the central questions discussed concerned the controversy surrounding the original version of Night. Was it first written in Hebrew or Yiddish, and what interdependencies in its genesis can be assumed? This led to a further question that is also relevant to the edition of the work: How should we deal with variants of a description that can be found in different versions and languages (Yiddish, Hebrew, French, English) with regard to the question of authenticity? What conclusions can we draw from the differences? All these questions will be of interest for the upcoming edition of his works, especially since all his works revolve in concentric circles around Nacht.

The fact that you don't always have to be in the same place to hold a conference or team meeting at a research center was demonstrated at the last FEW Skype meeting on December 12, 2018, which was attended by staff from Jerusalem, Tübingen, Heidelberg, and Potsdam. Prof. Reinhold Boschki was in Israel at the time to discuss our planned historical-critical complete edition with scholars and Elie Wiesel experts. The many discussions made it clear that our project is receiving great encouragement and support. One of the outcomes of our meeting is the planning of a conference in the middle/end of the year, to which we would like to invite experts on the work and life of Elie Wiesel to Berlin and Potsdam. We will also take this opportunity to present the doctoral project of our colleague Marion Eichelsdörfer, who is working on the translation of the work …un di velt hot geshvign. After the conference, we plan to publish a conference proceedings volume in which we will include the experts' current knowledge and projects. In this way, we will achieve close cooperation among all scholars and make current studies and work transparent and accessible.