New curator Maren Krüger designs critical exhibition in Wittenberg

New curator Maren Krüger designs critical exhibition in Wittenberg

The Evangelical City Parish has taken a remarkable step. Maren Krüger was selected as curator for the planned exhibition on anti-Jewish relief at the Wittenberg city church. This exhibition will be located in the sacristy of the church and is intended to shed light on the problems of anti-Semitism and historical responsibility. Krüger, who was a curator at the Jewish Museum Berlin until 2024, has made a name for herself with her appointment. She convinced the community church council to work with the Evangelical Academy of Saxony-Anhalt to create an educational center that promotes Jewish history and the confrontation with anti-Semitism.

After studying Jewish studies in Münster, Berlin and Jerusalem, she gained extensive experience. Krüger worked freelance for museums, memorials, publishers and university institutes. Her projects focus on Jewish history, culture and religion, and she has been a curator at the Jewish Museum in Berlin since 1990, where she contributed to both permanent exhibitions.

History and responsibility

The ongoing legal dispute over the anti-Jewish relief on the Wittenberg town church has been dragging on for years; a lawsuit was dismissed by the Federal Court of Justice in 2022, but the plaintiff announced that he would take further legal action. The relief, which was expanded with an anti-Jewish inscription from the Reformation period, refers to the problematic historical role of Martin Luther, who described Jews as a “people of liars” in his writings. This influence on later anti-Semitism should not be underestimated Planet knowledge records.

In addition, anti-Jewish insults can be found in other churches of the former Holy Roman Empire. The Wittenberg parish was the first in Germany to openly address this heritage since the 1980s. In 1988, a floor plate was created as a counter-sculpture, which, together with the relief and a cedar planted in 1990, forms the “Site of Reminder”. As part of the Reformation anniversary in 2017, there were again heated debates about the correct way to deal with the relief, which was ultimately left where it was.

Perspectives of the exhibition

The planned exhibition under the direction of Maren Krüger aims not only to display the relief, but also to place it in its historical context and exploit it educationally. The parish church council has clearly advocated that this educational venue not only be dedicated to the historic houses, but also to today's challenges of anti-Semitism.

A lasting legacy of this discussion is the critical examination of our own history and the responsibility of church institutions today. Exhibitions and initiatives are intended not only to raise awareness of Jewish history in Wittenberg, but also to promote understanding and compassion, as can also be observed in many current discourses. The need to confront anti-Semitism is more relevant today than ever.

In summary, the case surrounding the anti-Jewish relief shows that it is important not only to deal with history, but also to actively advocate for respectful coexistence. Considering the various facets of anti-Semitism, the commitment of personalities like Maren Krüger and the Wittenberg church community is a step in the right direction.