Page 104 - The Track Of The Jew Through The Ages - Alfred Rosenberg

The Track of the Jew through the Ages

and elsewhere, then the Jewish question ended the same way as
everywhere. An incident in itself without importance gave the final
warrant for a Jewish persecution and, on 17 September 1394, the
Jews were finally (that is, until the day of the "freedom of human
rights") deprived of their privileges, their goods were confiscated
and they were expelled from France. Since that time they did not
lead a legally permitted life there any more.
The south of France had, as mentioned, been at first very
lenient towards the Jews, but even there there arose increasingly
more complaints. In 1484, there occurs a great Jewish persecution
in Aries; Provence turns directly to the King ofFrance with a request
for help against the unscrupulousness of the Jews, Marseilles sends
delegates to Paris in 1487 with an express request to enforce the
expulsion of the Jews since they have ruined the land through usury.
And so, from 1498 to 1501, the Jews were expelled even from the
so hospitable south.
As far as the north was concerned, they had shortened the
process in an energetic, sometimes brutal, manner, especially in
Brittany. In 1239, the estates of the dukes met, declared the debtors
freed of their obligation, ordered the return of pawned money and
decided to expel the Jews of the land.
The duke, the barons and the bishops swore to never let the
Jews again into Brittany; since then there has been no Jew here,
since it seems that this decision, unlike in so many other provinces
and lands, was carried out actually and mercilessly.
An interesting, nay piquant, counter-example is offered by
the fate of the small Jewish community in Pamiers at the foot of the
Pyrenees. Here the rabbis had enforced rules of a strict sort regulating
the entire life of the Jews. The Jews were compelled to moderation
in every relationship, the women were forbidden to wear rich jewels,
the children could not be gifted any fine clothes, the sons were
bequeathed only a small amount of money, gambling was strictly
forbidden, etc.
These rules were energetically reinforced by the Christian
authorities so that they did not just remain on paper. And here there
has been, in spite ofreligious differences, no Jewish question through

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