Museo Nazionale dell’Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah (MEIS), Ferrara

The National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah (MEIS) was established in Ferrara based on the law of April 17, 2003, no. 91 (amended by law 296 of December 27, 2006). The decision recognizes and enhances the exceptional continuity of the more than two-millennia-long Jewish presence in the Peninsula. Jews represent an indispensable reference for understanding Italian history and civilization. The cultural contribution made by Italian Jews both to Judaism as a whole and to the civilization of our country has been extraordinary. Over the centuries, they have helped establish numerous connections between Italy, Europe, and other shores of the Mediterranean. Therefore, the Jewish minority deserves to be credited with a valuable role in linking cultures and civilizations. Finally, the ways in which Jews have been viewed from the outside must be considered. In this field, there were and still are fruitful exchanges; however, the presence of a long-lasting hostility culminating in the extreme events at the center of the twentieth century is also documented.

The site identified as the seat of MEIS consists of the large complex of the former city prisons. The building, inaugurated in 1912, was closed in 1992. Through qualified urban and architectural interventions, the aim is now to recover for the city a place of segregation and exclusion. In this way, a space of marginalization (and later of dilapidated abandonment) located right in the urban center, a short distance from the area of the former ghetto where the historic synagogues and other important signs of Ferrara’s celebrated Jewish past are still found, will be made open and frequented.

The management of the Museum is entrusted to a Foundation established between the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Municipality of Ferrara, the CDEC (Contemporary Jewish Documentation Center), and the UCEI (Union of Italian Jewish Communities).