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. The Jews represent an indispensable reference for understanding Italian history and civilization. The cultural contribution brought 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 relationships between Italy, Europe, and the other shores of the Mediterranean. Therefore, the Jewish minority must be credited with a valuable function of connecting cultures and civilizations. Finally, consideration must be given to the ways in which Jews have been viewed from the outside. In this field, there were and are fruitful exchanges; however, the presence of long-standing hostility culminating in the extreme events 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 decommissioned in 1992. Through qualified urban and architectural interventions, the aim is now to reclaim for the city a place of segregation and exclusion. In this way, a space of marginalization (and later of dilapidated abandonment) located in the city center, not far from the area of the former ghetto where the historic synagogues and other important signs of Ferrara’s famous Jewish past are still found, will be opened and frequented.

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