Featuring abundant illustrations of religious, historical, and cultural objects and documents, this book traces the history of Judaism during the medieval period, from the eleventh to the early sixteenth century. Two major centers of Jewish culture emerged during the Middle Ages: that of the Ashkenazic Jews, concentrated in the Rhineland, particularly in Speyer, Worms, and Mainz; and that of the Sephardic Jews on the Iberian peninsula. Both of these traditional populations experienced a period of great cultural bloom between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. The intellectual history and social life of European society as a whole were influenced significantly by Judaism during this era. The book focuses on the relationship between the two traditional Jewish groups and their non-Jewish environment. It offers interesting insights into Jewish religious rituals and customs, the structure of Jewish communities, and the everyday lives of Jews. It also casts light on the work and influence of Jewish scholars in religion, philosophy, and other fields while emphasizing the contributions of medieval Jews to the development of European society and economy. (German edition available ISBN 3-7757-9190-6) Exhibition schedule: Historisches Museum der Pfalz Speyer, November 19, 2004 - March 20, 2005 · Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, April 23 - August 28, 2005