Seen in the light of Critical Heritage Studies, Jewish cultural heritage is not a natural reality, but a social and cultural-political dialog with the past, which is about present processes and not products. The first anthology of the DFG Priority Program Jewish Cultural Heritage (SPP 2357) deals with the manifestations of Jewish cultural heritage in individual contributions. From historical and contemporary constructions of Jewish heritage, to cultural heritage as a social practice, to questions about the connection between cultural heritage and sustainability, the contributions provide an insight into how Jewish heritage is re-evaluated, critically interpreted and given new meanings and functions from generation to generation. These negotiation processes also reflect various power relations and conflicts regarding the definition, ownership and use of Jewish heritage. To what extent has Jewish cultural heritage acquired new and sometimes unintended meanings in the midst of social change and political upheaval? What role does Jewish cultural heritage play in the constructed narratives of a new Europe after the Shoah? These and other questions are at the center of this volume.
