On July 27, 2021, the 15-year application process for UNESCO World Heritage status for the cities of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz concluded with their inclusion in the World Heritage List. Since then, the Speyer Judenhof, the Worms Synagogue District, and the old Jewish cemeteries in Worms and Mainz officially bear the title of UNESCO World Heritage.

The so-called SchUM Sites are significant witnesses of Jewish life and culture in Europe. In medieval Europe, they constituted the center of Jewish culture and continue to be important meeting places today. SchUM is an acronym derived from the initial letters of the medieval Hebrew names for Speyer (Schpira), Worms (Warmaisa), and Mainz (Magenza). The SchUM Sites provide insight into the centuries-old roots of Ashkenazi Judaism and narrate the brightest and darkest times in Jewish history.