Migration processes and mobility of European Jews during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era

Programme

The conference focuses on the migration of the Jewish population in Central Europe during the 15 and 16 centuries. Different factors combined at that time, leading to situations which forced individuals and entire communities to leave their homes and seek a new place in which to live. The political and social causes and consequences of such forced migration of Jews in individual countries will be discussed, as will the significant displacement associated with the expulsion of Jews from entire areas. At the same time, however, there was natural movement of people in Jewish society at that time, together with a transfer of ideas and knowledge, taking place at religious, cultural, and economic level (e. g. education in yeshivas, Hebrew book printing, the mobility of Jewish doctors and other specialists, or the transfer of knowledge of lending and banking). This issue will also be considered at the two-day conference of Czech, Austrian, German, and Polish historians.

The conference will be held online via Zoom. Conference languages are Czech and German, with simultaneous interpretation.

The conference is supported by the Czech Academy of Sciences as part of the Prémie Lumina quaeruntur – project LQ 300151901, “Migration processes and mobility of European Jews during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era”.

If you are interested in attending, please send your registration (name of participant, affiliation to institution, e-mail address) to: bunatova@hiu.cas.cz by 11 October 2021.