The state capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, Mainz, hosts one of the oldest Jewish communities in the German-speaking region. As early as the 10th century, a Jewish community existed in "Magenza," which gained fame through the work of its scholars and made the city a religious and cultural center of Judaism in the Middle Ages. The Jewish heritage in Mainz tells a story with bright and dark sides, accompanying the community from its heyday through persecution and pogroms to the Shoah and into the present day.

Building on this heritage, the city of Mainz - along with the cities of Worms and Speyer - was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2021. Under the name SchUM, attention is drawn to the past and present Jewish culture. Thus, Mainz remains a symbol for preserving cultural heritage and the former heyday of the Jewish community.