In the Lutherstadt Wittenberg opens in November at the town church a new permanent exhibition on the history of Christian anti-Judaism. At its centre is the medieval defamatory relief preserved on the south side, known as the Judensau, whose origins, interpretations and lasting effects up to the present day will be examined. The exhibition is organised by the Protestant town church congregation and the Protestant Academy of Saxony-Anhalt.
The exhibition is designed as a permanent place for learning and discussion. In the vestry historical contexts, theological reflections and educational formats are brought together. According to the organisers, the programme is expressly aimed at school classes and groups working on the history of the Reformation, remembrance culture, and the relationship between the Church and Judaism.
The move follows years of debate over how to deal with the relief. Lawsuits seeking its removal were unsuccessful in German courts; a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights also did not lead to its removal. The town church congregation had previously set up an on-site contextualisation. The new permanent exhibition develops this interpretation in greater depth and incorporates it into a broader educational programme.
The town church congregation and the Protestant Academy of Saxony-Anhalt are working with experts in museum and education work. According to those involved, a curator with experience at the Jewish Museum Berlin has been appointed. Plans include accompanying dialogue events, teaching resources and guided tours led by a moderator, bringing together perspectives from theology, history and Jewish voices.
In Wittenberg, the exhibition joins an existing programme of remembrance and education relating to the history of the Reformation and Holocaust remembrance. The city and the institutions involved stress that a transparent examination of the Church’s responsibility is necessary to make antisemitic traditions visible and counter contemporary forms of hostility towards Jews. The exhibition is also expected to attract attention beyond the region and serve as a test of a modern culture of remembrance.
Assessments of its reception and reach remain provisional until the exhibition is fully open, initial visitor figures are available and the accompanying programme has been evaluated. Key considerations include the transparency of the historical account, a clear distinction between facts, inherited attributions and theological assessments, and respectful treatment of the offensive image. Those responsible stress that the aim is not to neutralise it as a museum object, but to provide an informed, self-critical interpretation from a contemporary perspective.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).