In the framework of the Environment and culture responsible Danube region Priority of the Interreg Duna Transnational Program, the project REDISCOVER, (Rediscover, expose and exploit the concealed Jewish heritage of the Danube Region, DTP2-084-2.2) has been granted an overall EU funding of 1 569 394,47 EUR. The project is implemented by the following 18 institutions representing 8 countries of the Danube Region:

Szeged (HU, as Lead Partner), Szeged and Surroundings Tourism Nonprofit Ltd., Municipality of Galati (RO), Municipality of Timisoara (RO), World Heritage Management City of Regensburg (DE), Institute for Culture, Tourism and Sport Murska Sobota (SI), City of Osijek (HR), Municipal Museum of Subotica (RS), Kotor Municipality (ME) and City of Banja Luka (BA).

The partnership is based on cities of similar historical background with Jewish heritage and similar cultural and tourism missions. Thematic partners associated with local governments are also involved in the project: City of Subotica, City Municipality Murska Sobota, Jewish Community of Szeged, Jewish Community Timisoara, part of Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania, Jewish Community of Osijek, Jewish Community of Montenegro, Jewish Community of Banja Luka and Romanian Institute for Research on National Minorities.

Today's Jewish society in the Danube region is fragmented: the capitals and large regional centres have a significant residual community with preserved religious and cultural heritage background. Mid-sized cities with limited built cultural heritage are usually linked to well-known heritage centres on the tourism market. For them, the main challenge is to find ways to explore the tangible/intangible elements of Jewish cultural heritage in order to create competitive cultural products with potential tourism prospects.

The re-discovery of the Jewish cultural heritage of project scenes means that besides intangible elements that are well-known to the wide audience (synagogues, cemeteries, memorials, public/ business/residential buildings) are to be organised into creative attractions, to include and integrate intangible elements usually not recognised by the mainstream community and visitors. Such elements like arts, events, testimonies, history and legacy of outstanding personalities etc. This project would like to help creating competitive advantages for cities with otherwise scarce JCH attractions.

The main objective of the project is to explore, revive and present the hidden intellectual heritage along with locally available Jewish cultural heritage of project partner cities, creating a jointly presented, synergistic tourism tool/service that is accessible to the wide audience as well.

The Rediscover project’s launching conference and kick-off meeting was held by the Lead Partner in Szeged at IH Event Centre on 5-6th July in 2018. At the event, after the opening addresses, Hungarian lecturers gave inspiring and high-quality presentations to the audience. László Marjanucz from the University of Szeged elaborated the concrete historical processes of the coexistence and joint urban development of various Jewish groups of Szeged. A presentation by Norbert Glässer - also from the University of Szeged - along with András Zima (Budapest University of Jewish Studies) gave insight into the changing Jewish community life - inherited cultural products - roles in local social development. At last, but not least Krisztina Frauhammer’s (the University of Szeged) lecture was about the representation of the Intangible Heritage in the written sources of Judaism of the Danube Region.

After the launching conference, which was open to the wide audience, the event continued with the kick-off meeting restricted to the representatives of the project partners. This was the first time for the partners to meet and have a chance to get to know each other better in person and create a friendly working environment. In addition to the informal networking, during the day-and-a-half meeting, partners got acquainted with the detailed concept, purpose and implementation rules of the project.

The project’s implementation period is 1st June 2018 - 31st May 2021.