Current:Home > StocksUNESCO names Erfurt’s medieval Jewish buildings in Germany as a World Heritage Site -FutureFinance
UNESCO names Erfurt’s medieval Jewish buildings in Germany as a World Heritage Site
View
Date:2025-04-16 14:20:31
BERLIN (AP) — A U.N. committee on Sunday named a group of medieval Jewish sites in the eastern German city of Erfurt as a World Heritage Site, the second time Jewish heritage in Germany has been added to the list in recent years.
Among the buildings included in the new designation are Erfurt’s Old Synagogue, a 13th-century stone building that illustrates Jewish family life in the medieval era, and a traditional ritual bath, or mikveh.
The decision was made at a meeting of the U.N. World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the auspices of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.
Erfurt’s Jewish heritage sites have a long history, but had been largely forgotten until relatively recently. After pogroms in the 14th century drove much of Erfurt’s Jewish population out of the city, the Old Synagogue was used as a storehouse and then a restaurant and dance hall. Its historical importance was only rediscovered and established in 1988.
The ritual bath was filled in and used as a cellar for centuries and was only recognized for its historical and cultural background in 2007.
“The Jewish monuments of Erfurt were nearly forgotten for centuries,” said Maria Boehmer, president of the German UNESCO commission. “Their rediscovery is a great gift.”
Paris-based UNESCO began the World Heritage List in 1978. It includes a broad array of over 1,000 sites — from the Acropolis in Athens to the Great Wall of China — nominated by their respective nations.
Sunday’s news comes two years after UNESCO first recognized Jewish cultural heritage sites in Germany. That year, it added the so-called ShUM Jewish sites in the Rhine river cities of Mainz, Worms and Speyer to its list of World Heritage Sites.
UNESCO’s choice to also add Erfurt “makes a further important contribution to making the common roots of Jews and Christians in Germany and Europe visible and preserving them for the future,” Kerstin Puerschel, Germany’s ambassador to UNESCO, said in a statement.
The inclusion of Erfurt brings the total number of World Heritage Sites in Germany to 52.
veryGood! (5944)
Related
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Caitlin Clark is No. 1 pick in WNBA draft, going to the Indiana Fever, as expected
- Minnesota Democratic leader disavows local unit’s backing of candidate accused of stalking lawmaker
- Suspect arrested after allegedly killing a man at a northern New Mexico rest stop, stealing cars
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Schweppes Ginger Ale recalled after PepsiCo finds sugar-free cans have 'full sugar'
- Home values rising in Detroit, especially for Black homeowners, study shows
- Lottery, gambling bill heads to Alabama legislative conference committee for negotiations
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- 'Scrubs' stars gather for a mini reunion: 'Getting the band back together!'
Ranking
- Sam Taylor
- Tearful Kelly Clarkson Reflects on Being Hospitalized During Her 2 Pregnancies
- Wait, what is a scooped bagel? Inside the LA vs. New York debate dividing foodies.
- How Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones Hilariously Seduce Their Kids with Fancy Vacations
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Actors Alexa and Carlos PenaVega announce stillbirth of daughter: She was absolutely beautiful
- Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce ban on gender-affirming care for nearly all transgender minors for now
- 'All these genres living in me': Origin stories of the women on Beyoncé's 'Blackbiird'
Recommendation
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Ex-Piston Will Bynum sentenced to 18 months in prison in NBA insurance fraud scheme
The hard part is over for Caitlin Clark. Now, she has WNBA draft class to share spotlight
Homeowners, this week of April is still the best time to sell your house — just don't expect too much
Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
The push for school choice in Nebraska is pitting lawmakers against their constituents
Changing course, Florida prosecutor suspended by DeSantis to seek reelection
NASA seeking help to develop a lower-cost Mars Sample Return mission