Sussex-Berlin Dialogues on Jewish History and Contemporary Issues

The Centre for German-Jewish Studies and the Jewish Museum in Berlin are jointly organizing a series of lectures and dialogues on topics related to Jewish religion, history, tradition and culture, which started in the autumn of 2009. This inaugurated a programme of cooperation between the two institutions that aims to attract a larger audience in Germany and England. The form planned for those events, which alternate between Berlin and London, is a moderated dialogue between two intellectuals on changing politically, socially and culturally relevant issues. The topic for 2009 and 2010 will be: "The Question of Redemption: Messianism and the End of History". 

The first event took place on Thursday, 10 December 2009, 9. to 8.30 pm at the Konzertsaal, Jewish Museum Berlin, Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin. Prof. Moshe Idel (Jerusalem) and Prof. Elliot Wolfson (New York) discussed the topic "Messianic Manifestation and Mystic Vision". The evening was moderated by Prof. Micha Brumlik (Frankfurt am Main).
The second event will take place in London on Wednesday 12 May 2010 (venue to be announced). Prof. Sigrid Weigel (Berlin) and Prof. Michael Löwy (Paris) will discuss the topic "The End of Secular Utopias". The evening will be moderated by Prof. Christian Wiese (Sussex).