SchUM Cultural Days Mainz
Multi-month program on Jewish culture and history around the UNESCO World Heritage SchUM Sites of Speyer-Worms-Mainz
About SchUM Cultural Days 2026
The SchUM Cultural Days Mainz are the annual program series of the city of Mainz dedicated to Jewish culture and history. SchUM is the medieval acronym formed from the Hebrew initial letters of the three Jewish communities of Speyer (Schpira), Worms (Warmaisa), and Mainz (Magenza), which formed the spiritual center of Ashkenazi Judaism from the 11th to the 13th centuries. In 2021, the preserved SchUM sites — the Worms Synagogue, the Worms Heilige Sand (Holy Sand), the Speyer Judenhof (Jewish Courtyard) with the Mikveh, and the Mainz Judensand — were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The festival is taking place for the ninth time in 2026 and spans the months of September, October, November, and into December. It is not a festival in the classic sense, but a curated program series held at various venues in Mainz city center — the synagogue in Hindenburgstraße, the Stadthaus, the Academy of Sciences and Literature, the University, the State Museum, the Cathedral and Diocesan Museum, and on the Judensand itself.
The range of programs includes academic lectures on SchUM research, film screenings with workshop discussions, classical and Klezmer concerts, literary readings, city tours of the Jewish sites in Mainz, workshops and school projects, as well as temporary exhibitions. The scope ranges from the Middle Ages to the present day — from research into the rabbinical schools of the 11th century to the question of how Jewish life is practiced and made visible in Germany today.
2026 is a special year because the new SchUM Visitor Center is opening in Mainz, creating a permanent point of contact for the World Heritage site. The opening will be accompanied by special guided tours, an academic symposium, and a celebratory concert.
The SchUM Cultural Days are a central component of Mainz's culture of remembrance and part of a network of programs running concurrently in Worms (Jewish Museum) and Speyer (Museum SchPIRA). A shared UNESCO World Heritage identity is thus being created step by step — culturally, touristically, and scientifically.
SchUM Cultural Days 2026 — edition 2026
The exact program for 2026 will be published by the organizer in the summer. The structure follows the proven cornerstones of previous years: Opening in September with a ceremony and a concert, followed by weekly changing events at various locations in the city center — lectures on Mondays or Tuesdays at the Academy of Sciences and Literature, concerts in the synagogue or the cathedral, film screenings with workshop discussions at the arthouse cinema, city tours on weekends, readings in libraries and bookstores. Special in 2026: Opening of the SchUM Visitor Center with a special program.
Programme SchUM Cultural Days 2026 2026
Program Structure 2026
September — Opening
- Ceremony for the opening of the 9th SchUM Cultural Days
- Opening Concert
- Opening of the new SchUM Visitor Center Mainz
October — Focus on Research and History
- Academic lectures on SchUM research
- City tours of Judensand and medieval Jewish sites
- Film screenings with workshop discussions
November — Focus on Contemporary Jewish Culture
- Klezmer and classical concerts
- Literary readings
- Workshops and school projects
December — Closing
- Hanukkah event and closing program
Typical Venues
- Neue Synagoge Mainz
- Academy of Sciences and Literature
- Stadthaus and City Archives
- State Museum Mainz
- Library of the University of Mainz
- Judensand (UNESCO World Heritage)
Detailed program on mainz.de and schumstaedte.de.
Highlights SchUM Cultural Days 2026 2026
- 9th edition of the SchUM Cultural Days Mainz
- Opening of the new SchUM Visitor Center in 2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Judensand
- Lectures, concerts, films, tours, readings
- Several months of programming at various locations
- Cooperation with Speyer and Worms
Prices SchUM Cultural Days 2026 2026
Practical information — SchUM Cultural Days 2026
Venues
Various venues in Mainz city center: Neue Synagoge (Synagogenplatz 1, 55116 Mainz), Academy of Sciences and Literature, Stadthaus, State Museum, Cathedral and Diocesan Museum, Library of the University of Mainz, other locations depending on the format. Detailed addresses available through the official program overview of the City of Mainz.
Date 2026
September to December 2026 (multi-month program). Exact individual dates available on mainz.de and schumstaedte.de.
Admission
Some events are free (especially lectures and city tours), others are ticketed (concerts, special tours). Tickets available on-site or through the respective venues.
Registration
Registration is required for city tours and workshops. Via the program page of the City of Mainz or directly at the Tourist Information Center.
Note on SchUM World Heritage
The Judensand (Mainz's medieval Jewish cemetery) is a UNESCO World Heritage site and can be visited year-round by appointment — the Cultural Days offer special thematic tours.
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