52nd Koldewey Conference in Strasbourg, 25 - 29 May 2022

Architecture and material culture in general have long been regarded as a secondary component of European Jewish culture, which is shaped by religious and intellectual writing, and have only been the subject of broader interest in cultural and social studies research for a few decades. Synagogue architecture in particular has long been a desideratum of European Jewish studies, although architecture is an indispensable prerequisite and often also a symbol and image of communal religious life. In many places, only these buildings, combined with ritual baths, community centres and cemeteries, still bear witness to the eventful history of Jewish communities in Europe and the entire Mediterranean region since antiquity.

In addition to the conference theme, there will again be interesting contributions from ongoing research projects. From our group there are the following presentations (chronologically):

• Manuel Maissen: Zur Planung und Konstruktion der Seitenschiffgewölbe in der Stadtkirche St. Johann in Schaffhausen (Saturday, 10:50-11:10)
• Clemens Knobling: Zur Bauforschung an Schweizer Holzbrücken des 16. Jahrhunderts (Saturday, 11:10-11:30)
• Martin Gantner: Innovation und Tradition. Dachwerke über katholischen Saalkirchen des Barock und Klassizismus in der Zentral-, Nord- und Ostschweiz 1600 bis 1850 (Saturday, 13:30-13:50)
• Jasmin Schäfer: Innovative Dachkonstruktionen im reformierten Kirchenbau der Schweiz (Saturday, 13:50-14:10)
• Kylie Russnaik: Die Alte Henke in Frauenfeld. Ein Denkmal der Schweizer Textilindustrie im 19. Jahrhundert (Saturday, 14:10-14:30)
• Stefan Holzer: Neue Forschungen an der Basilica del Santo in Padua (Saturday, 15:20-15:40)