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World Heritage Ceremony for the ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms und Mainz
![World Heritage certificate for the ShUM Sites with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, the President of the Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Mrs Malu Dreyer © Staatskanzlei RLP / Dinges World Heritage certificate for the ShUM Sites with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, the President of the Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Mrs Malu Dreyer](/blob/292/1d405f76d7ae8e678c7864e62790f650/loading-data.gif)
World Heritage certificate for the ShUM Sites with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, the President of the Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Mrs Malu Dreyer, © Staatskanzlei RLP / Dinges
On 1st February 2023, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay presented the World Heritage certificate for the ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz to the President of the Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and to the Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Mrs Malu Dreyer. The ceremony took place at the New Synagogue of Mainz. The ShUM-Sites are the 50th German World Heritage site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021. They are also the first World Heritage site which underline the importance of Jewish heritage in Germany. Thanks to its nationwide importance, the ShUM Sites have become the cradle of Ashkenazi Judaism.
The serial site comprises a synagogue compound, the Old Jewish Cemetery, women’s shul, vestiges of a religious school and a ritual bath (mikveh). The acronym ShUM stands for the Hebrew initials of Speyer, Worms and Mainz.
![Worms Synagogue © GDKE Rheinland-Pfalz | Ernst, Jürgen Worms Synagogue](/blob/292/1d405f76d7ae8e678c7864e62790f650/loading-data.gif)
![Old Jewish Cemetery Worms © GDKE Rheinland-Pfalz | Ernst, Jürgen Old Jewish Cemetery Worms](/blob/292/1d405f76d7ae8e678c7864e62790f650/loading-data.gif)
![Old Jewish Cemetery Mainz © GDKE Rheinland-Pfalz | Ernst, Jürgen Old Jewish Cemetery Mainz](/blob/292/1d405f76d7ae8e678c7864e62790f650/loading-data.gif)
![Mikveh Speyer © GDKE Rheinland-Pfalz | Ernst, Jürgen Mikveh Speyer](/blob/292/1d405f76d7ae8e678c7864e62790f650/loading-data.gif)