Anti-Semitism DBQ

Anti-Semitism DBQ
Valerie Partsch
October 26, 2014
AP Euro

During the 15th through the 18th centuries, the attitudes and beliefs about, and the treatment of Jews was an important subject. Anti-Semitism (the hostility to or prejudice towards Jews) raged on throughout Europe for most of this time period. Attitudes meaning the feelings about the Jews, beliefs meaning how you think the Jews are, and treatments meaning how you act towards them based on your attitudes and beliefs. At the beginning of this time period, Jews were generally thought of as vicious and greedy, the killers of Christ. Towards the end of this time period, around the 17th and 18th century, Jews were not treated as badly thanks to the Enlightenment. In the documents
In a wood panel (Document 5), a Jewish family is burned at the stake for the “Desecration of the Host.” In “On the Jews and Their Lies,” by Martin Luther (Document 8), the author advises people to set fire to Jewish synagogues and schools and to destroy their houses. He also says to cut off a Rabbi’s limb if he tries to teach. Martin Luther said this because he was a part of the clergy of the Catholic Church, which means that he wanted to keep the congregation Catholic so that they would go to church and allow him to keep his job. Another example of hurting the Jews is in the account of Rabbi Nathan of Hanover of the massacres of Polish Jews by Cossacks and Tartars during the Chmielnicki Revolts (Document 12). He tells that all four death penalties: stoning, burning, beheading, and strangling were used against the Jews. Hurting the Jews was common in the
In a 15th century engraving (Document 1), the picture depicts the Jews being singled out by having to wear a special hat to distinguish them. The law was probably made because of the sheer amount of the Jews in Frankfurt, Germany. They didn’t want to have them take over. In a painting of a Jewish coupe from Worms Germany (Document 7), the couple is not only depicted as greedy, but a huge circle was sewn on the front of their clothes. This happened because the Christians of Worms wanted to mark the Jews to differentiate from them. In a papal bull of Pope Paul IV (Document 9), the pope says to make the Jews live in a different part of town and they have to wear a hat or obvious marking so they cannot be concealed or hidden. The author said this because he was the leader of Catholics, which were Christians. He wanted to oppress the Jews and make sure that none of the Christians converted. In a contemporary etching by Georg Keller (Document 11), the artwork depicts the expulsion of the Jews from Frankfurt, Germany. This document shows yet another example of the harsh treatment of the Jews. Singling out and isolating the Jew was a common treatment of the Jews in this time