The Jews of Stühlingen

8-12

Ralph

December 25, 2016

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Claims were thus discounted and/or traded like cash. Some of these claims had a very long validity. Marum Tochtermännlin (S1) wanted to collect a twenty-eight-year-old claim in 1660 [R3821]. Some debtors owed money to as many as eight different merchants: “Claims against Hanns Rebmann called Gussi: Jäggle Jew (C2) 134 fl., Hürtzle Jew (B1.2.1) 60 fl., Meierle Jew (C2.1) 8 fl., Jecoff Jew (G1) 8 fl., Cost (R2) 1 fl., Isaac (B1.2.2) 4 fl. + 3 fl., the heirs of Sannel Jew(C1) 15 fl., Judele Jew of Ofteringen (O4) 30 fl. + 5 fl. [R1654].

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 Claims were also used like cash. In 1684:

Meyerlin, Menkhin’s son (C2.1.2.1) passed a claim to his sister, who had just married [R1358].

¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 Estates were frequently settled in claims as well:

“Jeckoff (G1.2.2.2) has inherited a claim from his father Callmel.” (G1.2.2)”[R955]

¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 And similarly:

“Marumb (G1.3) and Jonelle (G1.4) Jews, Jeckhoff´s (G1) sons and heirs, ledger. The following participate in the claim: the heirs of Schmul (G1.2) Jew (22 fl.), Marumb (G1.3) Jew, Jonas Jew, and the heirs of Josephle (G1.1) Jew (38 fl. each) [R2112].

¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 But credits did not have to be heartless. The Stühlingen protocols record a deposition:

Christa Fössler and his wife in Schwaningen are grateful to Jew Sandel (S1.2). Since he did not aggressively pursue his interest at their bankruptcy, they were able to keep their farm. As the Jew lost about 150 fl., they assigned him a mortgage of 50 fl. beyond the court settlement [R3720].

¶ 10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 0 In fact, while the crimes and misdemeanours of Jews occupied the courts quite frequently, not a single accusation of or conviction for usury was among the 622 cases concerning Jews.

¶ 11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 0 Jews were not only lenders; they also borrowed money for leverage. With the general cash shortage in the country, the major lenders were in the cities: “Treasurer [Säckelmeister] Hurter of Schaffhausen claims 202 fl. from Jägglin Weyl Jew (R1.1) in Stühlingen. The claim originates from 1640 [R3921].