16 - Genocidal Massacres of Jews in Medieval Western Europe, 1096–1392

Summary

The article discusses the most consequential episodes of genocidal violence against the Jews in medieval Western Europe: the slaughter of Jews in the Rhineland during the First Crusade (1096), the massacres in England (1189-90), the Rintfleisch and Armleder massacres in Germany (1298, 1336-38), the Shepherds’ Crusade violence in France and northern Iberia (1320-21), attacks on Jews during the Black Death epidemic (1348-1351), and the anti-Jewish urban riots in Castile and Aragon (1391-92). While the massacres did not aim to eradicate Jews from the Western Christendom, by the end of the medieval period the violence expanded in scope, affecting entire regions and even kingdoms. Christians from all walks of life – not just lower-class people – participated in the assaults. They had a variety of motivations: while some wanted to take revenge on the supposed killers of Christ, others resented Jews’ association with royal power, or felt victimized by Jewish moneylenders. The dissemination of conspiracy theories about Jews committing ritual murder, desecrating the Eucharistic host, or causing the plague also led to violence. Jews were accused of plotting to destroy Christianity, inflict physical harm on Christians, and undermine their livelihood. In this sense, medieval and modern anti-Jewish violence have far more in common than many scholars are willing to admit.