Latest / The History of Germany: Kingdoms, War, and Rebuilding Europe — Fexingo History / The Jews of Medieval Speyer: A Lost Community
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, after our episodes on the Frankfurt Parliament and Bismarck's constitution, I thought we'd step back even further — into medieval Germany, and look at a community that's often overlooked in the grand narrative of kings and wars: the Jewish community of Speyer. Luna: Speyer — that's one of the ShUM cities, right? Along with Worms and Mainz? Lucas: Exactly right. ShUM is an acronym formed from the first letters of the Hebrew names for those cities — Schpira, Warmaisa, Magenza. These three Rhineland communities became the heart of Ashkenazi Jewish life in the Middle Ages. Speyer's story is especially interesting because of how it started. In 1084, the bishop of Speyer, a man named Rüdiger Huzmann, invited Jews to settle in his town. He issued a charter that gave them remarkable rights — permission to trade freely, to own land, to have their own court. It was a deliberate act to boost the city's economy and prestige. Luna: That's surprisingly progressive for the 11th century. Lucas: It was. And the charter is still preserved. It's one of the earliest surviving documents of its kind in Europe. The Jews who came were mostly from Mainz, which had a thriving community but also faced periodic violence. Speyer offered a fresh start. They built a synagogue and a mikveh — a ritual bath — just steps from the cathedral. The area became known as the Judenhof, the Jewish courtyard. And for a few decades, it was a haven of relative peace and prosperity. Lucas: But of course, that peace was shattered by the First Crusade. In 1096, crusader armies marching to the Holy Land decided to attack Jewish communities along the Rhine. Speyer wasn't spared. Bishop Rüdiger's successor, Bishop Johann, actually tried to protect them — he hid many in his palace — but about a dozen people were killed, and others were forced to convert. It was the beginning of a pattern that would repeat for centuries. Luna: So even with a strong charter and a protective bishop, they weren't safe. Lucas: Exactly. The crusaders saw Jews as enemies of Christ, and local mobs often joined in. Speyer's community recovered, though. By the 12th century, it had become a center of Jewish scholarship. Rabbi Judah ben Kalonymus, a member of the famous Kalonymos family, led a school there. He and his students were part of the Tosafist movement — they wrote commentaries on the Talmud that are still studied today. The Speyer synagogue was expanded, and a women's section was added. It was a vibrant, learned community. Luna: What ultimately happened to them? Lucas: Persecution returned in waves. In 1349, during the Black Death, the entire Jewish community of Speyer was burned alive in their own synagogue. The city expelled Jews again in the 15th century, and again in the 16th. Some returned, but by the 17th century, the community was tiny. The synagogue fell into ruin. Today, the Judenhof is an archaeological site. You can still see the foundations of the synagogue and the mikveh, which is one of the oldest in Europe — it's about 15 meters deep, carved into the sandstone. In 2021, the ShUM sites of Speyer, Worms, and Mainz were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Luna: It's remarkable that something that old is still visible, that we can walk those same steps. Lucas: It is. And there's a poignancy to it. The mikveh was used for ritual purification, for conversions, for women after childbirth. It's a direct link to the daily lives of people who lived 900 years ago. For me, it brings the history into sharp focus — these weren't just names in a document; they were families, scholars, traders, children. And yet their story is also one of resilience. Despite the violence, Jewish life in Speyer persisted for centuries, and the legacy of ShUM scholarship influenced Jewish communities across Europe. Luna: I remember you mentioned the charter earlier — what exactly did it guarantee? Lucas: The charter of 1084, issued by Bishop Rüdiger, is a remarkable document. It granted the Jews of Speyer the right to trade freely throughout the city, to own land within the Jewish quarter, and to have their own legal system for internal disputes. It also stipulated that the bishop would protect them from attack. In return, they paid taxes and helped boost the economy. It was a pragmatic arrangement, but it was also revolutionary for its time. It shows that a medieval ruler could see Jews not just as outsiders, but as valuable contributors. Lucas: Of course, the bishop's protection was only as strong as his ability to enforce it. During the crusade, it held to some extent, but later riots overwhelmed it. Still, the charter set a precedent. Other cities, like Worms and Mainz, looked to Speyer as a model. And for a while, it worked. The community grew, built institutions, and produced some of the most important Jewish texts of the Middle Ages. Luna: It's a bittersweet story — a golden age cut short again and again. Lucas: Yes, and that's why it's worth telling. It reminds us that Jewish history in Germany is not just about the Holocaust — it's also about centuries of coexistence, contribution, and cultural flowering. The ShUM cities were a beacon of Jewish learning at a time when most of Europe was still struggling with basic literacy. And the physical remnants — the mikveh, the synagogue foundations, the carved stones — they're a tangible reminder of that lost world. Lucas: And speaking of tangible reminders — if you've been following along with these conversations about Germany, about the layers of history beneath our feet, I hope you've felt something of that connection. This show takes a lot of time to research and produce — digging into archives, finding these stories, bringing them to life in a way that's accessible. And it's all listener-supported, which means no ads, no sponsors. If you value that, and you want to help keep these episodes coming, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a simple way to chip in, and it really makes a difference. Luna: Yeah, I think a lot of our listeners appreciate that we can go deep into a place like Speyer without having to cut for a commercial break. Lucas: Exactly. So, that said, let's stay in Speyer a little longer. There's one more figure I want to mention: the poet and rabbi Judah ben Kalonymus. He lived in the late 12th century and wrote liturgical poetry — piyyutim — that are still recited in some Ashkenazi synagogues today. One of his poems, the 'Alenu prayer' in a certain version, is attributed to him. It's a powerful example of how this community expressed its faith and identity in the face of adversity. Luna: So his words outlived the community itself. Lucas: They did. And that's the thing about history — the physical ruins are important, but so are the texts, the ideas, the prayers that carry a community's voice across centuries. Speyer's Jewish community was destroyed more than once, but its intellectual legacy survived. The Tosafist commentaries from Speyer and the other ShUM cities are still studied in yeshivas today. That's a kind of immortality. Luna: It makes me wonder what other fragments of medieval life are still hidden under German cities. Lucas: Plenty. In many towns, the Jewish quarter was built over, but archaeology is constantly uncovering new evidence. In Speyer, the mikveh was only rediscovered in the 20th century, during construction work. It had been filled in and forgotten. Now it's a museum piece. Who knows what else is waiting to be found — a buried synagogue, a cemetery, a cache of manuscripts. That's the excitement of history: it's never fully written. Luna: And each discovery rewrites the story. Lucas: Exactly. So next time you're in the Rhineland, if you ever pass through Speyer, take a moment to stand at the Judenhof. Imagine the sound of the shofar, the chanting of prayers, the bustle of a medieval market. That community is gone, but its stones still speak.