Documents on Jewish History in S- and W-Austria 1387-1404

A remarkably high number of medieval sources on the history of Jews has survived for the territory of today`s Austria. Therefore, the Institute for Jewish History in Austria has engaged in preparatory work to publish this source material. In the course of previous FWF-sponsored projects, the sources on the history of Jews from today`s Republic of Austria were processed until the year 1386. In the course of the project "Documents on Jewish History in Southern and Western Austria 1387-1404", this work will be continued for today`s federal provinces of Styria (including the region of former Lower Styria), Carinthia, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Vorarlberg up to the year 1404. Charters as well as historiographic and literary sources containing references to Jews will be collected and processed according to scientific criteria. This material includes a number of texts which have not been published at all or treated with regard to the Jewish aspect yet. Research will be conducted in archives both in Austria and abroad; besides, material contained in earlier publications will be collected as well. The publication consists of a chronological series of document summaries. Additionally, an extensive index as well as commentaries that will be added to the respective documents will make the source texts accessible to the reader. The history of the Jews in Southern and Western Austria has for the most part not been researched in detail so far for the time period covered by the project. It is however of crucial importance to any comprehensive study of this period that it be based on the entirety of the source material, most notably on the hitherto unpublished, extensive body of business charters. The sources collected and processed in the course of this project will allow a detailed analysis of the policies of the authorities towards the Jews (of the Habsburg dukes Albrecht III, Wilhelm and Albrecht IV as well as the archbishop of Salzburg and the many local "minor" authorities, particularly in Carinthia and Vorarlberg) during a time period when the Jews were not only subjected to more and more restrictions that aimed at mere financial exploitation, but also had to face the first wide-ranging persecution that had been initiated by the ruler (1404 in Salzburg). In addition to that, the sources will provide insights into the legal, social and economic situation of the Jews during this period as well as information on the interaction of the Jews with their Christian environment.

No additional funding sources recorded.