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Quincy Standage

Dr. Wolbrink

HIST 255

24 March 2018

International Conspiracy: The Persecution of the Jews During the Black Death

From 1347 to 1349, thousands of Jews were persecuted because of widespread fear of the

Black Death. This led to the execution of thousands of Jews. The fear came from an international

conspiracy that the Jews wished to exterminate the Christians by poisoning the wells and springs

leading Christians to contract the plague. Germany was a leading center for the extermination of

Jews in the time between 1347 to 1349. As a result of the negative sentiments against the Jews

they were tortured for confessions, burned at the stake, or given an ultimatum of baptism. This

led to thousands of unnecessary deaths during the Black Death. Those living in the time of the

great plague looked to religion for the answers to the mass deaths happening. This led to the

Christian faith, focusing their attention on the Jews. The Jews were persecuted because of anti-

semantic values and widespread fear among Christians of an international conspiracy

created by the Jews.

The persecution of the Jews originated in the search for an answer to the deaths of

millions across Europe from the plague. Heinrich Truchess von Diessenhoven, a chaplain of

Pope John XXII, asserts that “Jews were burnt on the strength of a rumour that they had

poisoned wells and rivers, as was afterwards confirmed by their own confessions and also by the

confessions of Christians” (Horrox 208). Scholar Rosemary Horrox states that “the plague

seemed to many contemporaries to be the first act of an apocalyptic drama which would see the

rule of Antichrist on earth, and finally the coming of Christ to judge the world” (Horrox 110).
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Torture was often used on Jews to wring out confessions of crimes against Christians in Europe.

A common torture method was an instrument called the wheel which consisted of “tying the

victim’s limbs to the spokes of a wagon wheel and then beating him or her with a rod or club”

(Aberth 156). This form of torture usually yielded confessions. Many Jews confessed to

purposefully poisoning the water systems in an attempt to kill others. The Jews are portrayed

poisoning the rivers by dropping various potions into the water sources. Abbot Gilles li Muisis,

asserts that the Jews were emboldened by the astrological forecast of the impending mortality.

Muisis asserts that “learned astrologers […] had forecast the impending mortality from the

course of the stars, and this encouraged them to put their evil intention into practice with more

confidence and cunning” (Horrox 50). These accusations and confessions emboldened the

Christians to take extreme actions against the Jews in the name of saving Christian lives.

Jewish women and children were not spared from the carnage. Jewish women are

accounted throwing their children into the fire and then jumping in themselves, rather than

allowing their children to be baptized (Aberth 160). In Diessenhoven’s account of the destruction

of the Jews he asserts “they were all burnt apart from their babies, who were taken from them by

the citizens and baptized” (Horrox 209). A commonality among the accounts of the persecution

include that the Jews attempted to repent their sins by accepting baptism to escape being burned

(Horrox 207). Jean de Venette asserts that “when Jews were being burnt mothers would throw

their children into the flames rather than risk them being baptised, and would then hurl

themselves into the fire after them, to burn with their husbands and children” (Horrox 56). The

Christians accepted this as a victory; however, in some cases Jews could not escape death

through baptism. During the Black Death Jews were given the ultimatum of baptism or being

tortured and burned at the stake.

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The Jews faced various forms of torture including the wheel, being burned alive, and

brutal mob violence. Aberth describes the 1348 persecution of the Jews as a “Holocaust-like

execution” (Aberth 159). Men, women, and children were brutally killed on false accusations.

Many Jews did not receive a fair trial, and were guilty by confessions from torture on the wheel.

Several accounts have been recorded of Jews being herded into and burnt in specially

constructed buildings. Aberth asserts “hundreds of Jews were herded into a make-shift wooden

house that was specially erected in the Jewish cemetery of Strasbourg and then set alight”

(Aberth 159). When Jews were burned alive some attempted to crawl out of the fire seeking

safety, the other Jews being burnt would kill them, not allowing them to escape. Diessenhoven

accounts “when the wood and straw had been consumed, some Jews, both young and old, still

remained half alive. The stronger of them snatched up cudgels and stones and dashed out the

brains of those trying to creep out of the fire, and thus compelled those who wanted to escape the

fire to descend to hell” (Horrox 208-209). Jews are recorded being burned at the stake, in

personal homes, in pits, and in specially built buildings. Overall the Jews faced various forms of

torture because of the false confessions of poisoning major water sources.

The persecution of the Jews has roots not only in the Black Death but as a conspiracy of a

larger agenda by the Jews. The Christians who detested the Jews believed that the confessions

the Jews professed under torture gave evidence towards a Jewish international conspiracy to

exterminate the Christians (Horrox 211). This sentiment of an international conspiracy led the

masses to exterminate the Jews in fear of their own lives and Christianity. Religious prosecution

can be seen at many points in history including the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition or the

Holocaust. In 2018, Muslims in Myanmar are currently being prosecuted due to religious and

cultural differences. Aberth argues that the Holocaust has its origins in the persecution of the
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Jews during the Black Death (Aberth 191). Religious persecution due to fear is demonstrated

through the persecution of the Jews and Muslims. The persecution of the Jews has roots in

allegations of an international conspiracy against Christians.

Not all individuals agreed with the persecution of the Jews, stating the Jews were

perishing from the plague as much as the Christians were. Duke Albrecht of Austria attempted to

shield the Jews from persecution, and others rose up to speak out against the killing of the Jews

(Horrox 210). While he eventually failed and was forced by the court to burn the Jews, Duke

Albrecht raised an important point. Was it truly possible for the Jews to cause the death of half of

the European population? Venette asserted that “in truth, such poisoning, even if they really

happened, could not have been solely responsible for so great a plague or killed so many people”

(Horrox 57). Venette continues to take a scientific route by explaining that the Black Death must

have been caused by corrupt air or humours to cause such a mass mortality (Horrox 57). The

scientific approach presented by Venette created doubt about the morality of persecuting the

Jews.

On July 5, 1348 Pope Clement VI brought the Jews under the protection of the church by

stating “we are nevertheless mindful that Our Saviour chose to be born of Jewish stock when he

put on mortal flesh for the salvation of the human race” (Horrox 221). This statement helped to

bring perspective to the Christians on how the Jews are not as different and evil as conspiracies

told. Pope Clement VI continues in his address to assert “no Christian presume in any wise to

wound or kill Jews” (Horrox 221). This assertion was partially made because the Jews were not

given due process and had no formal trial before judges for the poisoning of wells and rivers.

Ultimately it was recognized that it was anti-semantic to persecute the Jews for the Black Death

by torturing them after Pope Clements mandate.

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The plague brought about anti-semantic views that led to a greater persecution of Jews.

During 1347-1349 the Jews were persecuted and executed for poisoning and attempting to

slaughter the Christians. This led to the torture, confession, and execution of thousands of Jews

in Europe. Even though the Jews died at a similar rate as the Christians from the plague, they

were killed for crimes against the Christians. The persecution of the Jews resulted from

allegations of an international conspiracy that the Jews wished to exterminate the Christians.
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Bibliography

Aberth, John. From the Brink of the Apocalypse: Confronting Famine, War, Plague, and Death

in the Later Middle Ages. New York: Routledge, 2010

Clement VI. Sicut Judeis. The Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox, 221-222.

Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1994.

Diessenhoven, Heinrich Truchess Von. Fontes Rerum Germanicarum. The Black Death,

translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox, 208-210. Manchester: Manchester University

Press, 1994.

Horrox, Rosemary. The Black Death. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1994. 99-110.

Meuschen, J.G. Flores Temporum seu Chronicon Universale ab Orbe Condito ad Annum. The

Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox, 207. Manchester: Manchester

University Press, 1994.

Venette, Jean de’. Chronica Latin de Guillaume de Nangis Avec les Continuations de Cette

Chronique. The Black Death, translated and edited by Rosemary Horrox, 54-57.

Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1994.