Conversos are baptized Iberian Jews and their descendants between the Middle Ages and Early Modern times. After the mass conversions between 1391 and 1497, conversos continued to live in considerable numbers across Iberian societies. Some of them made their way into Christianity, whereas others continued to live secretly as Jews.

Histories of the conversos influenced Spanish and Portuguese politics, societies, and cultures well into modern times. Collective anxieties vis-à-vis the conversos contributed to the establishment of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, the distinction between “New Christians” and “Old Christians”, as well as the emergence of “purity of blood” (limpieza de sangre)statutes, which some scholars identify as the beginning of modern antisemitism.

Beyond the question of anti-Judaism, the conversos’ fates, networks, and positionings have been used to discuss questions of crypto-religiosity, martyrdom, and belonging. In his controversial 2009 “The Other Within,” for example, Yirmiyahu Yovel designated the conversos as “forerunners of modernity,” and highlighted their importance, among others, for the modern transformation of religion, the rise of the individual, religious hybridity, and plural identities. The book has triggered heavy criticism but it also provoked major discussions that continue until today.

This lecture series touches upon some of these discussions and the background needed to understand fully the conversos’ impact and importance. Internationally renowned researchers feature prominently in this series, as they share their respective insights, questions, and scholarly critiques with students, fellow scholars, and the wider public.