070140 UE Guided Reading Medieval History - Anti-Judaism in the Middle Ages (2024S)

The aim of this course is to acquaint the students with the fundamental anti-Jewish stereotypes and topoi, to discuss their origins and dissemination, and to analyse how these narratives were established and asserted. In doing so, both common features with the general anti-Jewish stereotypes of medieval and early modern Europe (with a focus on the Ashkenazi region) and specific regional or local characteristics shall be discussed; in addition to that, the issue of (re-)actions of Jewish communities and individuals will be broached. The educational objective shall be pursued by an analysis of narrative and visual source material that is based on the use of various methods, as well as reading and discussing of secondary literature.
By use of various source materials (such as chronicles, deeds and charters, theological tractates and shrovetide plays, but also visual and material sources) the course will introduce the students to the fundamental anti-Jewish narratives; source material of Jewish provenance shall present Jewish (re-)actions as well as defence and survival strategies.
Therefore, learning units will consist of an introduction to the respective topic, followed by reading and discussion of the prepared texts (original, transcription and translation). These texts will be made available on Moodle; students are expected to summarise and present them in five assignments during the term.