Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture

What Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture does

The Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture (Leibniz-Institut für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur – Simon Dubnow) is a non-university research institute headquartered at Goldschmidtstraße 28, Leipzig, Germany. It is a member of the Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft) and is jointly funded by the German federal and state governments. The institute conducts interdisciplinary, epoch-spanning research on Jewish lifeworlds in Central and Eastern Europe from the early modern period to the present, with a pan-European perspective that includes spaces of Jewish emigration in Israel, North America, and Latin America. Research is delivered through a portfolio of bilingual (German/English) publications: the international Jahrbuch des Dubnow-Instituts / Dubnow Institute Yearbook, the Schriftenreihe monograph series, the toldot and hefez essay series, the Jüdische Geschichte & Kultur magazine, and the Mimeo doctoral blog platform.

The institute operates with a small core staff of 9 employees and a wider network of more than 100 affiliated doctoral researchers who contribute to the Mimeo blog. Its non-commercial outputs — including open-access publications, the institute library with special collections, exhibitions, university teaching, and free thematic teaching booklets (Themenhefte) for schools — are distributed without charge to academic and general audiences. Strategic partnerships with the JTS Schocken Institute for Jewish Research (Jerusalem), the University of Leipzig Archive, Ariowitsch-Haus Leipzig, and KOAS/OFEK support joint research projects, exhibitions, and educational programming. There is no commercial revenue model; the institute is sustained entirely by public institutional funding and project-specific grants from the federal government (BMBF/BMFTR), the Saxon State Ministry, and the Leibniz Association.

The institute's core customer segments are academic researchers and scholars in Jewish history, teachers and educational multipliers using free teaching materials, and a general public reached through events, exhibitions, and general-interest publications. Distribution is multi-channel: open-access digital downloads, a physical library reading room, public events in Leipzig, and social media engagement across Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The institute's distinctive assets include its privileged access to the Schocken Archive in Jerusalem and the multi-year Berlin/Jerusalem. Schockens Gärten exhibition running from October 2026 through autumn 2028.

Name

Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture

Legal name

Leibniz-Institut für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur – Simon Dubnow

Website

https://dubnow.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Simon Dubnow Institute is a Leipzig-based non-profit Leibniz research institute conducting interdisciplinary scholarship on Jewish history and culture in Central and Eastern Europe, serving academic researchers, teachers, and the general public through open-access publications, exhibitions, and educational materials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical and Cultural Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Academic publishing
• Historical research
• Scholarly journals
• Cultural heritage studies
• Educational programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Funding: As a member of the Leibniz Association, the institute receives funding from German federal and state governments. This is a non-commercial research institution with no revenue-generating activities from product or service sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Simon Dubnow Institute is a non-university research institute that conducts interdisciplinary and epoch-spanning research on Jewish history and culture in Central and Eastern Europe. It disseminates its research through a portfolio of bilingual scholarly publications (yearbook, monograph series, essay series, magazine), a doctoral research blog, a specialized library, public exhibitions and lectures, university teaching, and free educational materials for schools and adult education.

Product overview

The Dubnow Institute (Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow) operates as a unified research institution offering multiple interconnected publication products and academic services. The core publication portfolio includes the bilingual 'Jahrbuch des Dubnow-Instituts/Dubnow Institute Yearbook' (international scholarly journal), the 'Schriftenreihe' (main monograph series), the 'hefez' series (works on Jewish history and material culture), the 'toldot' essay series, and the 'Jüdische Geschichte & Kultur' magazine. The institute also maintains the 'Mimeo' doctoral blog, the 'Themenhefte' educational teaching materials for schools, and a specialized library open to researchers. Additional offerings include a web portal on Jewish scholars at Leipzig University, rotating exhibitions on Jewish history, and university-level teaching programs. The institute also supports the 'Alltagskultur' project website with teaching resources including themed booklets, videos, interviews, and source materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mimeo: A blog platform for doctoral researchers at the Dubnow Institute providing insight into current research projects and work-in-progress manuscripts. The name refers to mimeograph, an outdated mechanical reproduction process for manuscripts.
• Jahrbuch des Dubnow-Instituts/Dubnow Institute Yearbook
• hefez - Arbeiten zur jüdischen Geschichte und materiellen Kultur
• toldot - Essayreihe zur Geschichte und Kultur der Juden
• Jüdische Geschichte & Kultur

Products and services

• Jahrbuch des Dubnow-Instituts / Dubnow Institute Yearbook Bilingual (German/English) international scholarly journal publishing research on Jewish history and culture, considered internationally renowned and serving as the institute's flagship publication.
• Schriftenreihe des Dubnow-Instituts Main monograph series of the institute featuring scholarly monographs and edited volumes on Jewish history and culture.
• hefez - Arbeiten zur jüdischen Geschichte und materiellen Kultur Essay series focused on Jewish history and material culture, featuring works such as 'In fremden Häusern' examining the relationship between Poles and Jews in Lower Silesia after 1945.
• toldot - Essayreihe zur Geschichte und Kultur der Juden Essay series presenting scholarly essays on the history and culture of Jews.
• Jüdische Geschichte & Kultur Magazin Magazine of the Dubnow Institute published by Jüdische Allgemeine, presenting research findings to academic audiences and the interested public.
• Mimeo - Doctoral Researchers Blog Blog platform for doctoral researchers at the Dubnow Institute, providing insights into current research projects and work-in-progress manuscripts. The name references the mimeograph, an outdated mechanical manuscript reproduction process.
• Themenhefte für den Unterricht - Jewish Everyday Culture Teaching Materials Free teaching materials (thematic booklets, videos, interviews, sources, methodology modules) for educators to teach aspects of Jewish everyday culture in classrooms and political adult education. Award-winning educational resources developed between 2022 and 2025 with BMBF funding.
• Dubnow Institute Library Special collections library with specialized holdings on Jewish history and culture, open to students, external researchers, and visitors by appointment.
• Webportal Jüdische Gelehrte an der Universität Leipzig Web portal developed jointly with the University of Leipzig Archives, providing information on the lives and work of Jewish academics at the university, covering participation, disadvantage, and exclusion.
• Dubnow Institute Exhibitions Public exhibitions organized by the institute on Jewish history and culture, such as 'Berlin/Jerusalem: Schockens Gärten' examining Jewish migration and cultural history.
• University Teaching and Courses University-level teaching activities including current semester courses, course search, and academic profiles at the institute.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bilingual international yearbook published annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• JTS Schocken Institute for Jewish Research (Jerusalem)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration on the exhibition 'Berlin/Jerusalem. Schockens Gärten' and the research project 'Betrieb und Idee' (Operation and Idea) examining Salman Schocken's universe in the Jerusalem archive. The Schocken Archive in Jerusalem serves as a transnational knowledge repository of Jewish history and culture.
• Family SchockencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the exhibition 'Berlin/Jerusalem. Schockens Gärten' focusing on the Schocken family's history and the creation of Salman Schocken's garden in Jerusalem.
• Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft, Kultur und Tourismus (Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism)coreOthersProvided funding for the research project 'Betrieb und Idee' (Operation and Idea) examining Salman Schocken's universe in the Jerusalem Archive, enabling the exhibition and related scholarly work.
• Ariowitsch-Haus LeipzigmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCooperation partner for the method training (Methodenkoffer) program. The half-day workshop on August 28, 2026 on conveying Jewish everyday culture is hosted at the Ariowitsch-Haus, with educational materials developed jointly with this institution.
• Universitätsarchiv Leipzig (University Archive Leipzig)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project on the web portal 'Jewish Scholars at the University of Leipzig: Participation, Disadvantage and Exclusion,' providing information on the lives and work of Jewish academics at the university.
• KOAS/OFEK (Center for Academic antisemitism Research)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarina Chernivsky from KOAS/OFEK serves as keynote speaker for antisemitism-critical educational training programs, contributing expertise to the institute's educational outreach.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Jewish Museum Berlin: Major museum institution with exhibitions, educational programming, and collections on Jewish history and culture in Germany. Shares exhibition programming model and public education mission but operates at significantly larger scale and scope than Dubnow's research-led model.
• Yad Vashem – International Institute for Holocaust Research: World-leading Holocaust research, archives, and education institution. Comparable as a transnational research/publishing/educational operation in Jewish history, though much larger and Holocaust-specific rather than pan-Jewish-historian scope.
• Central European University (Central European University): International research university with strong humanities and Jewish studies programs, plus extensive publication of scholarly monographs. Comparable academic research and publication footprint, though degree-granting model differs from Dubnow.

Direct peers

• Leo Baeck Institute: International research institute (NYC/Jerusalem/London) dedicated to the history of German-speaking Jewry. Operates archives, scholarly publications, and public programming on the same subject (German-Jewish history) with comparable scholarly publication model and transnational scope.
• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research: Preeminent research institute on Jewish history and culture with archival collections, scholarly journal (YIVO Annual), and doctoral training. Comparable as a Jewish historical research organization combining an academic library, peer-reviewed publications, and public education.
• Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung (TU Berlin): Berlin-based research center focused on antisemitism research with strong overlap on the institute's educational outreach work (Methodenkoffer, antisemitism-critical pedagogy). Comparable German research/publication mission in adjacent scholarly space.
• Institut für die Geschichte der deutschen Juden (Hamburg): Hamburg-based research institute studying history and culture of Jews in Germany; shares institutional structure (library, publications, public events), regional German focus, and historical scholarship mandate. Directly comparable mission and operational footprint to Dubnow.
• Wiener Holocaust Library: UK-based research library and archive on the Holocaust, antisemitism, and Jewish history. Comparable combination of specialized archive, scholarly publications, exhibitions, and educational programming targeting both academic and general audiences.
• Moses Mendelssohn Zentrum für europäisch-jüdische Studien (Universität Potsdam): Interdisciplinary German research center on European-Jewish history and culture, sharing virtually identical research scope (Central/Eastern European Jewish history), Leibniz-era institutional model, publication series, and university-affiliated doctoral training. Closest structural twin of Dubnow in Germany.

Regional players

• NIOD – Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies: Dutch research institute studying war, Holocaust and genocide with analogous public-research structure, publications, and educational programs. Comparable European social-history research institute but geographically focused on Netherlands and focused on a narrower historical scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/dubnow.bsky.social
• Facebookfacebook.com/dubnowinstitut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simon-dubnow-institute-for-jewish-history-and-culture
• Instagraminstagram.com/dubnowinstitut

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture