The UC Berkeley archives contain a trove of original manuscripts that detail the persecution of Spanish Jews in the 16th and 17th century.

Ron Hassner’s special exhibit, Anatomy of Torture: Testimonies from the Berkeley Archive accompanies the publication of his latest book Anatomy of Torture (Cornell, 2022) by making several of these documents available for public viewing for the first time.

The special exhibit, curated by Professor Hassner, will also include original documents and artifacts from The Magnes Collection that relate to the Inquisition.

The exhibit will be open to the public at The Magnes Collection from October 18 to October 20, 11AM-4PM.

The University of California, Berkeley Chancellor’s Professor of Political Science and Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel Studies, Professor Hassner teaches international conflict and religion. His research explores the role of ideas, practices and symbols in international security with particular attention to the relationship between religion and violence.  His published work focuses on territorial disputes, religion in the military, conflicts over holy places, the pervasive role of religion on the modern battlefield, and on the politics of interrogational torture.

Don’t miss the exhibit opening and book launch on October 18th at The Magnes.

Learn more about Professor Hassner’s research and book in the July 20, 2022 Berkeley News article: “The tortures of the Spanish Inquisition hold dark lessons for our time” by Edward Lempinen.

This special exhibit is co-sponsored by UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, Center for Jewish Studies, The Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Stuides, and The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life.