The “Re-discovery” of Jewish Spain

This article examines the historiographical recovery of the Iberian Jewish past in Spain between 1875 and 1915, highlighting the role of orientalist scholars in integrating Jewish history into national narratives. It explores how this process intersected with nation-building, Catholic conservatism, and efforts to modernize historical scholarship. Despite persistent antisemitic tropes, orientalist scholars fostered a critical reevaluation of Jewish contributions to Spanish culture and thought, culminating in the institutionalization of the study of the country’s Jewish past.