Medieval Sourcebook:
Bishop of Speyer:
Grant of Lands & Privileges to the Jews, 1084
In the name of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, I, Rudiger, surnamed Huozmann, Bishop
of Speyer,
When I made the villa of Speyer into a town, thought I would increase the honor I was
bestowing on the place if I brought in the Jews. Therefore I placed them outside the town
and some way off from the houses of the rest of the citizens, and, lest they should be too
easily disturbed by the insolence of the citizens, I surrounded them with a wall. Now the
place of their habitation which I acquired justly (for in the first place I obtained the
hill partly with money and partly by exchange, while I received the valley by way of gift
from some heirs) that place, I say, I transferred to them on condition that they pay
annually three and a half pounds of the money of Speyer for the use of the brethren. I
have granted also to them within the district where they dwell, and from that district
outside the town as far as the harbor, and within the harbor itself, full power to change
gold and silver, and to buy and sell what they please. And I have also given them license
to do this throughout the state. Besides this I have given them land of the church for a
cemetery with rights of inheritance. This also I have added that if any Jew should at any
time stay with them he shall pay no thelony. Then also just as the judge of the city hears
cases between citizens, so the chief rabbi shall hear cases which arise between the Jews
or against them. But if by chance he is unable to decide any of them they shall go to the
bishop or his chamberlain. They shall maintain watches, guards, and fortifications about
their district, the guards in common with our vassals. They may lawfully employ nurses and
servants from among our people. Slaughtered meat which they may not eat according to their
law they may lawfully sell to Christians, and Christians may lawfully buy it. Finally, to
round out these concessions, I have granted that they may enjoy the same privileges as the
Jews in any other city of Germany.
Lest any of my successors diminish this gift and concession, or constrain them to pay
greater taxes, alleging that they have usurped these privileges, and have no episcopal
warrant for them, I have left this charter as a suitable testimony of the said grant. And
that this may never be forgotten, I have signed it, and confirmed it with my seal as may
be seen below. Given on September 15th, 1084, etc.
Source:
From: Altmann & Bernheim, eds., Ausgeuvahlte Urkunden zur Erlauterung der
Verfassungsge schichte Deutschlands im Mitzelalter, (Berlin: Weidmannsche
Buchhandlung, 1904), p. 156, reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, A
Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936;
reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), pp. 101-102.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by
Prof. Arkenberg.
This text is part of the Internet
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© Paul Halsall, September 1998
[email protected]
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