Franz Rosenzweig Minerva Research Center for German-Jewish Literature and Cultural History

Established in 1990 at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Franz Rosenzweig Minerva Research Center for German-Jewish Literature and Cultural History is funded by the Minerva Foundation, Munich, and the Ministry of Research and Technology of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Named after the German-Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929), whose life and work are deemed emblematic of the German-Jewish cultural legacy, the Centre seeks to honour the cultural achievements of German-speaking Jewry from the Middle Ages until the Shoah, and its subsequent reconstruction. Through its ramified research projects, the Centre also endeavors to examine the "culture of modernity" through the prism of German-Jewish cultural and literary history.

As a fellowship of scholars from various academic disciplines, the Centre pursues research in all aspects of German-Jewish cultural and literary life. Utilising the rich archival resources available in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the State of Israel, the Centre supports original research while also encouraging the development of new interpretative models. Through its fellowship programme, the Centre fosters scholarly collaboration between Israeli and European doctoral and post-doctoral students. Similarly the Centre invites senior scholars from abroad for varying periods to conduct research as well as to give lectures, lead colloquia and workshops on topics relevant to our research interests. The Centre further promotes co-operation between Israeli and foreign scholars through common research projects, which usually extend over several years, as well as by organising international conferences and workshops. Similarly, the Centre sponsors the collaboration of Israeli and foreign scholars in the preparation and publication of historical-critical editions of works of German-Jewish authors.