The year of Jewish Culture in Saxony
100 years after the founding of the first Saxon state association of Jewish communities, the Free State of Saxony – under the leadership of the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism – is celebrating a state-wide "Year of Jewish Culture" in 2026. Under the title "Tacheles", numerous events throughout Saxony shed light on Jewish history and culture as well as Jewish life in the Free State from different perspectives. The aim of the theme year is to see and understand Jewish life, Jewish culture and history as a natural part of Saxon society and cultural landscape as well as local and regional history.
The TUD is participating in the “Year of Jewish Culture” with a number of events. The program is updated regularly.
Prof. Michael Brenner (Professor of Jewish History and Culture) will join host Oliver Reinhard (Arts Editor of the Sächsische Zeitung) for a conversation about the eventful life of his mother, Holocaust survivor Henny Brenner (1924–2020). In addition to a reading from her biography, the discussion will also address the question of why commemorative culture is more important today than ever before.
- Location: Klemperer Hall, SLUB (Zellescher Weg 18, 01069 Dresden)
- Free of charge, no registration required.
An event in cooperation with SLUB.
To conclude the accompanying course “Jewish Daily Life in Germany” in the summer semester of 2026, Rabbi Esther Jonas-Märtin will speak on “Shabbat – A Palace in Time.” Shabbat symbolizes holiness and represents a festive state of exception: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Join us as we explore the traditions, rituals, and symbols through which we can create a palace in time. The lecture will take place on June 24, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. and is open to both TUD members and interested members of the public. Registration via email () is required to attend. The venue will be announced after registration.
Starting in the summer semester of 2026, the faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences as TU Dresden is offering a new accompanying course, "Jewish Everyday Life in Germany. Between Civil Rights, Antisemitism and #neveragain", under the direction of Prof. Dr. Maria Häusl. The course is an interdisciplinary cooperation between various chairs of the faculty and Jewish institutions and communities, which aims to give students who are in teacher training at TU Dresden a glimpse into the diversity of Jewish life in Germany and to prepare them to prevent antisemitism in educational contexts and in everyday life. The registration for the accompanying course for all students from the second semester of studies upward will be possible from the 02.02.2026 to the 15.03.2026.
- Target group: student teachers
- Further information here.
Event highlights in the Dresden area are listed on the website of the state capital Dresden. All events for the theme year throughout Saxony are also listed on the Tacheles website.
About the year:
The "Year of Jewish Culture" is based on a broad concept of culture, which, in addition to art and culture in the narrower sense, also includes history and the culture of remembrance, the field of cultural, historical and school education as well as opportunities for encounters. On the one hand, it is intended to enable a comprehensive and at the same time critical stocktaking of the handling of Saxony's cultural and historical Jewish heritage and its exploration and to give greater visibility to what already exists, but also to include new perspectives, forms of representation and mediation offers. The theme year presents Saxony's rich and diverse Jewish history and culture, but also highlights gaps and irretrievable losses. It aims to open up, promote and consolidate the dialogue between the Jewish community and the majority society in Saxony and at the same time increase knowledge and understanding of Jewish life, culture, tradition and religion.
Further information on the "Year of Jewish Culture in Saxony" can also be found directly on the project website "Tacheles".
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NameElisabeth Krollpfeiffer
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Directorate 9 – University Culture
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