Interpreting Spain's Jewish Past: Jewish Heritage Tourism and the Politics of History

Authors

Ana C. BermanFollow

Document Type

Honors Project

Comments

Advisor: Dr. Jessica Lynne Pearson, Macalester College Department of History

Abstract

This honors project explores Jewish heritage tourism in twenty-first-century Spain and how the politics of historiography permeate all aspects of the tourism experience. It argues that Jewish heritage sites in Spain are deeply entrenched in global, centuries-long historiographical debates about Spanish empire, nationalism and legacy. This, in turn, has shaped decisions about which Jewish spaces Spanish entities preserve for future generations and how Spanish entities represent present-day Jews, Jewishness, and Judaism. To demonstrate the reach of academia beyond the classroom, I use on-site signage, heritage management initiatives, and souvenirs to trace the influence of historiographical narratives, like Spanish Black and White Legend, in the heritage tourism sphere.

Recommended Citation

Berman, Ana C., "Interpreting Spain's Jewish Past: Jewish Heritage Tourism and the Politics of History" (2023). History Honors Projects. 33.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/history_honors/33