Die Judenverfolgungen des Mittelalters und ihre Ursachen

Antisemitic booklet. The author claims that although the number of Jews in Germany is small, nevertheless Jews create a state within the state and have dealings everywhere on earth. Their state is money and news. It is claimed that Jews were forced in the Middle Ages by the church to become traders and money lenders. But the question arises why exactly those trades? Maybe because that was their profession all along? The prohibition for Christians to charge interest was given by Pope Alexander III (1159-1181). Jews were dealing with money long before (Bernhard von Clairvaur). Pope Innozenz III tried unsuccessfully to extend the prohibition including Jews.There are not many records of Jews working in agriculture, whereas Jews can be found in trade (especially slave trade). A further claim is that only through the increased importance of cities, usury became more common and with it the persecution of Jews.