Researching European Jewish identity
Marrano is a term that was given to Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula who were forced to convert to Christianity in the late 15th century. As such, the construction of a European transnational Jewish identity was formed. The EU-funded project 'Marranism and western-European modernity' (EUMAR) has studied the complexities of the Marrano as a concept representing the 'other' inside a culture. The work also examined the history of the Jewish Enlightenment as well as how it was received in western Europe at the start of the 19th century. Many key results were achieved. A special issue of a scientific journal was prepared and a successful working team was formed. Proceedings of a conference are set to be published in 2015. Work was also presented at the World Congress of Jewish studies in 2013. A new theoretical framework is planned regarding Marranism and new Marranism. These results will be useful for European historical research and debates on Europe's global challenges.
Keywords
Jewish identity, western European, Marrano, Marranism, Jewish Enlightenment
