Jüdische Biografien in Sachsen im 19. Jahrhundert – Lesung und Gespräch

In the organizer's words:

In the course of the 19th century, the living conditions of Jews in Saxony and elsewhere in Germany changed fundamentally: on the one hand, it was a time of gradual legal equality in almost all areas of life. At the same time, the era was characterized by profound cultural changes in Judaism: Bourgeoisification, educational aspirations, reforms to religious services and the education of Jewish youth became formative. These developments are exemplified by around 120 Jewish biographies, which have been compiled as part of the 'Saxon Biography' for the TACHELES year and published in book form, together with a historical introduction.

Even though - unlike in Leipzig and Dresden - there was initially no Jewish community in Chemnitz, a whole series of young merchants and their families settled in the booming economic metropolis in the 1860s after the legal framework in the Kingdom of Saxony improved - the beginning of Jewish life in modern Chemnitz. First, co-editor Dr. Daniel Ristau will introduce the topic of the book. This will be followed by a discussion with the author and best expert on Jewish history in Chemnitz, Dr. Jürgen Nitsche, who will present the biographies of the early Jewish immigrants and place them in the context of the development of the Jewish community in the city. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for discussion and exchange over a small kosher buffet.