Monthly Archives: June 2025

[fällt leider aus!] Online-Talk: Die Domus Judaeorum in Schwäbisch Gmünd – Ein Blick auf 800 Jahre Nutzungs- und Umnutzungsgeschichte by Simon Paulus (in German)

July 1, 2025 18:00 CET, Universität Tübingen, Institut für Geschichtliche Landeskunde und Historische Hilfswissenschaften, Hegelbau (Wilhelmstr. 36) Raum 405 and via zoom

In its almost 800-year history, the building at Imhofstraße 9 in Schwäbisch Gmünd has been home to a wide variety of residents and experienced many different uses. Until renovation work began in 2014, it was considered an old but rather inconspicuous building in the town, and it was only when significant structural remains from the 13th and 14th centuries were uncovered that its former significance for the town’s history came back into focus. Since then, structural research on the building and archival research have continued to bring new findings to light, while at the same time efforts are being made to ensure that the building is used in a sustainable manner in keeping with its listed status. The lecture will present these current findings and developments and link them to the question of what potential the building could have not only as a testimony to medieval Jewish culture and history, but also as a living stone historical testimony in general for the communication and discussion of social developments, questions of perception and phenomena of the present.

Talk: Sabine Ullmann, „Akteure vor Ort und in der Region: Zur Frühphase des Landjudentums in Schwaben (16. Jh.)“, Festvortrag zur Eröffnung der DFG-FOR „Aschkenas in neuen Lebenswelten“

30 June 2025, 16:00 CET

Within the Colloquium “Arbeitskreis für Jüdische Geschichte des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit,” Sabine Ullmann (Eichstätt) will speak about „Akteure vor Ort und in der Region: Zur Frühphase des Landjudentums in Schwaben (16. Jh.)“ at Trier University, 16:00 CET. For a Zoom link, please register with cluse@uni-trier.de or muellerj@uni-trier.de.

Conference: Beyond Digital Awe. European Jewish Studies and the Challenge of Digital Humanities

According to their call, “[t]he Centre for Eastern European Jewish History at Vilnius University and the Taube Department of Jewish Studies at the University of Wrocław invite proposals for the international conference Beyond Digital Awe. European Jewish Studies and the Challenge of Digital Humanities, which will take place at Vilnius University, 17–18 November 2025.”

New Book: Solomonic Magic. Methodology, Texts, and Histories by Gal Sofer

Solomonic magic has captivated imaginations for centuries, yet its definition remains elusive. Is it a specialized branch linked to King Solomon, or a broader classification of practices attributed to him? This book explores the mysterious world of demon subjugation, examining previously unknown texts in multiple languages (Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and more) to reveal the historical evolution of this magical tradition. Divided into three parts, the book presents analyses of key manuscripts and examines the historical influence of Hebrew texts on later traditions. Featuring many unpublished manuscripts, this book challenges previous scholarly assumptions and offers a new perspective on the textual network that shaped medieval and early modern magical works.

In 2021, Gal Sofer reported on his research here on the blog: Researcher of the Week in September 2021.