2020/21

VIENNA AUTOGRAPHS retraces the signatures of members of the first Jewish community in Vienna. It shows the high level of literacy within the medieval Jewish population. 

Whereas most members of the Christian majority society could neither read nor write and used wax seals to authenticate documents, Jews were already signing documents by hand themselves, like we do today. Since reading from the Torah in the synagogue is part of the religious rite, it was common to learn to read and write. This means, that we have the names of some inhabitants of the medieval Jewish quarter documented in their own handwriting. Recreating these signatures in light momentarily brings back to life those who signed with their names seven hundred years ago.