The "great Jewish Renaissance" of Prague (c. 1580-1610) in its historical and cultural context - Einzelansicht

The reign of the Holy Roman emperor Rudolph II (1576-1612) is often remembered as a period of flourishing Renaissance culture centred around the city of Prague, the Emperor’s principal residence. During this time, the city’s Jewish community enjoyed a considerable cultural, intellectual and economic boom as well. Prague’s Jewish quarter, enlarged by several new synagogues and public buildings, financed by Jewish entrepreneurs, became a renowned centre of Jewish Europe and home to such eminent figures as Rabbi Judah ben Bezalel Löw (c. 1525-1609) or the astronomer and historian David Gans (1541-1613). This seminar shall explore the historical and cultural contexts of the “Great Jewish Renaissance of Prague” and its place in historical consciousness and collective memory among Jews and non-Jews in subsequent centuries.