Organizers: Elisheva Baumgarten, Hannah Teddy Schachter, Annika Funke, and the Beyond the Elite research team
The aim of the conference is to consider Christian-Jewish relations regarding matters of citizenship and civic identity in medieval urban spaces. To this end, we wish to present a wide range of sources and different approaches to analyze the ways in which Jews and others could be considered citizens of their towns. Particular questions of interest are: How did being a citizen of any given place influence people’s identity, belonging or way of life? Which privileges and obligations come with Jewish citizenship and how does that compare to that of Christians? What was the relationship of people to their towns and fellow townsmen and to the town authorities that governed? We will discuss social manifestations of medieval citizenship and identity in urban v. rural settings and landscapes, as well as performative and ideological acts of civic participation and belonging.