Pilgrimage and Pogrom

“Focusing on pilgrimage sites created around tales of Jewish desecrations of the consecrated communion wafer, Mitchell B. Merback’s Pilgrimage and Pogrom is a compelling study of the role of visual culture and architecture of pilgrimage sites in memory building. His descriptions of the sites bring to life the experience pilgrims may have had. But the most important aspect of the book is Merback’s argument that the legends of Jewish host desecrations emerged in these particular places only after the actual historical drama of Jewish persecution ended. Merback challenges earlier assumptions that stories of Jewish host desecrations led to anti-Jewish violence. Instead, he argues that the tales of desecrations were created later, retroactively justifying violence that had already occurred. Coupled together, the stories and these new physical shrines became redemptive for the community that had participated in anti-Jewish violence. Beyond personal piety, pilgrimage sites with their visual and architectural elements were also of political and cultural significance. Pilgrimage and Pogrom is an important study that brings together questions explored by cultural history, art history, and memory.”