Jews in Pappenheim

Jews must at least have been living in Pappenheim since the Middle Age. Legend says that Jews already had settled here since the destruction of the temple by the Romans.

In 1334 Ludwig the Bavarian confirmed the marshal of Pappenheim in “all rights and favors which his ancestors have received from kings and emperors, especially the right to protect the Jews dwelling with him”. 1342 Ludwig instituted a per capita tax “the goldener Opferpfennig” (golden sacrifice penny) for all Jews above the age of 12 years.

The marshal of Pappenheim granted the Jews protection in return of a considerable sum of money, the so called “Judenzins”. Still in the 15th century he even received half of this revenue from the towns of Nuremberg and Augsburg.

The Jewish cemetery of Pappenheim dates back to the 12th century and therefore belongs to the oldest Jewish cemeteries of Bavaria. About 300 tombstones can be seen in both cemeteries which are divided by a road. In 2008 and 2009 an Israeli couple had documented and translated the Hebrew inscriptions of the tombstones.

 

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