Language:
English
Year of publication:
1990
Titel der Quelle:
Central European History
Angaben zur Quelle:
23,2-3 (1990) 91-152
Keywords:
Jews History 1500-1800
;
Antisemitism History 1500-1800
;
Jews
Abstract:
An earlier version of this paper was presented to the Sixteenth Century Studies Conference in Minneapolis, October 1989. Describes and analyzes the tensions which arose between the citizens of Worms (i.e. the 17 guilds, led by their advocate Christophorus Chemnitz) and the City Council over Jewry policy. At first the citizens demanded reduction of the Jews' interest rates to 5% instead of the approved 10-12.5%. When the Council refused, the citizens demanded the expulsion of the Jews. This engendered much political and legal activity - i.e. petitions, briefs, and mandates of the Emperor, the Elector, the bishop, the imperial supreme court, the City Council, the guild representatives, and the Jews. After almost two years of anti-Jewish agitation, the Jews (ca. 725 persons) were driven out of the city on Easter Monday 1615. Eight months later they were allowed to return by order of the Holy Roman Emperor. States that the citizens' cause was doomed due to a lack of political realism. Their hostility to the Jews was seen as a threat to public peace and a challenge to existing rights and privileges, causing the Emperor and other authorities to use power to protect their own interests.
DOI:
10.1017/S0008938900021324
URL:
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