For many years the
Institute has collected scarce data about personalities and
communities in Germany. These data constitute an invaluable source of
information for researchers, students, authors, and all others who
take a strong interest in this subject.
Being that the
Institute’s database about religious tradition in general, customs
and folklore, is the only one of its kind in the world, the number of
people being assisted by it increases annually.
Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz
is collecting biographical material on the Torah scholars of Germany.
The Machon is computerizing its vast data base of material collected
thus far. The goal is to greatly increase access to this material by
interested parties worldwide. The stockpile will also provide the
basis for a new series of complete and accurate biographies of our
Sages, for a Concise Encyclopedia on this theme, and for a
historically reliable youth series.
A multi-volume work on
the Chasam Sofer entitled "From Frankfurt to Pressburg: The
Roots and Influence of the Chasam Sofer's Ideology", is in
preparation. The work is based upon rare, and previously unknown
documents. It demonstrates that the roots of the Chasam Sofer's
ideology are traceable to his native Frankfurt. Many new discoveries
are revealed about his outlook and influence on subsequent
generations, an influence still felt strongly today.
The Collected Writings
of R. Ezriel Hildesheimer have, for the first time, been gathered
together from 'Der Israelit' and 'Juedische Presse', translated into
Hebrew, and fully annotated.
Biographies of such
eminent scholars as R. Gershon Ashkenazi of Metz, R. Issachar Berman
Segal-Fraenkel of Ansbach, R. Aharon Teomim of Worms, R. Yitzchak Dov
Seligmann Baer Bamberger of Wuerzburg, have already been published.
Others like those of R. Nathan Adler of Hannover-London, R. Anschel
Stern of Hamburg and R. Yonah Merzbach of Darmstadt, are in various
stages of preparation.
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