Show Notes
Jewish History Nerds is a Signal Awards finalist. Vote for us in Listener's Choice by Thu 15 Oct: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/history
Jonathan Schwab and Yael Steiner confront the Judensau, a grotesque medieval motif that fuses Jews with pigs in obscene, degrading scenes carved straight into churches and cathedrals. They trace how this single vile image taught generations to see Jews not as human beings but as something filthy, animal, and disposable.
From a 13th century column in Brandenburg to the choir stalls of Cologne and Luther’s Wittenberg church, they follow this stonebound hatred across eight centuries, asking what it means when a symbol of pure contempt is still defended as “heritage.” Along the way, they probe how visual culture outlives theology, how dehumanization becomes architecture, and how, for worse, this too has become a Jewish symbol.
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Click here for Isaiah Shachar's book, The Judensau.
Click here for Daniel Leeson's work on The Judensau.
Click here to see images of the Judensau on the church in Wittenberg.
Click here for additional images of the Judensau.
Click here to see images of the Judensau in Cologne.
Click here for a news article about the court order to keep the Judensau in Wittenberg.
This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media.
Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube.
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For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:
Soulful Jewish Living
Stars of David with Elon Gold
Unpacking Israeli History
Wondering Jews
More from Jewish History Nerds
Jewish History Nerds is now an award-winning podcast! We took home two Signal Awards for history: Gold and Listener’s Choice. Thank you, Nerd Nation for coming out to vote.
We're a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. So we decided to revisit the episode submitted for consideration. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season of episodes.
We're a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We will be back soon with a brand new season.
Voting has closed. Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category and has the. chance to win a listener's choice award.
Jewish History Nerds is a finalist for a Signal Award in the history category. If you enjoy this show, please comment wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back soon with a brand new season.