Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Portuguese Jewish Refugees of Amsterdam
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, we've talked a lot about the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa, and how it suppressed local religions. But there's another side to that story — the Portuguese Jews and New Christians who fled the Inquisition and ended up in Amsterdam. Luna: I didn't realize there was a Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam. Lucas: Oh, it was one of the most influential Jewish communities in early modern Europe. By the late 1500s, the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions were targeting conversos — Jews who had been forced to convert to Christianity. Many of them secretly maintained their Jewish faith, but if they were caught, they faced torture or execution. So thousands fled. And Amsterdam, which was a Protestant republic with a relatively tolerant atmosphere, became a magnet. Lucas: And it's not a coincidence that this happened just as the Dutch were fighting the Portuguese for control of the spice trade. The refugees brought with them commercial networks, capital, and expertise in the Atlantic trade — including sugar and, later, the slave trade. In fact, some of these Portuguese Jews helped finance the Dutch West India Company. Luna: So they were fleeing persecution, but also profiting from empire? Lucas: Exactly. It's a complicated legacy. Let me give you a name: Menasseh ben Israel. He was a rabbi and printer in Amsterdam, born to Portuguese converso parents. He became famous across Europe for his learning, and in the 1650s he traveled to England to petition Oliver Cromwell to allow Jews back into England — they'd been expelled in 1290. His argument was partly theological — he believed the Messiah would come only when Jews were scattered across all the earth, and England was one of the few places they weren't yet. But also practical: he pointed to the economic benefits that Portuguese Jewish merchants had brought to Amsterdam. Luna: And did Cromwell let them back? Lucas: Not formally, but in practice, the ban was no longer enforced, and a small community grew in London. But the real powerhouse was Amsterdam. By the mid-1600s, the city had about 2,500 Sephardic Jews — that's Jews of Spanish and Portuguese origin — and they dominated the diamond and coral trades, and were heavily involved in the sugar refining industry. Lucas: They also built a magnificent synagogue, the Esnoga, which was inaugurated in 1675. It's still standing, and it's one of the largest and most beautiful synagogues in Europe. The community was known for its piety but also its wealth — they had their own charitable institutions, a yeshiva, and a printing press that published works in Hebrew, Portuguese, and Spanish. Luna: But what about the ones who didn't leave Portugal? The ones who stayed and converted? Lucas: Good question. Those who stayed often became 'New Christians' — Christians on the surface, but many continued to practice Judaism in secret. That's called Crypto-Judaism. The Inquisition was constantly hunting them. And even those who genuinely converted often faced discrimination because of 'limpeza de sangue' — purity of blood laws that barred anyone with Jewish ancestry from high office or certain professions. Lucas: So the diaspora to Amsterdam was an escape valve. And the community there maintained strong ties with Portuguese Jews in Brazil, Suriname, and other Dutch colonies. For example, when the Dutch briefly ruled northeast Brazil from 1630 to 1654, Portuguese Jews from Amsterdam moved there to manage sugar plantations — and they brought enslaved Africans to work them. Luna: That's a really dark part of the story. Lucas: It is. And it's important not to romanticize the community. They were victims of persecution, but they also became part of the colonial machinery. Many of the same families that financed the Dutch West India Company were also involved in the slave trade. It's a reminder that historical groups are rarely simply heroes or villains. Lucas: Now, if you've been following along with our episodes on Portuguese history — from the Casa da Índia to the Inquisition — you'll notice a pattern: the Portuguese empire was built on trade and violence, but it also created diasporas that reshaped the world. The Portuguese Jews of Amsterdam are a prime example. They took their language, their commercial know-how, and their faith, and built a new life in a tolerant city. And in doing so, they helped lay the groundwork for the modern Jewish diaspora in the West. Luna: And they were so integrated into Dutch society that Rembrandt even painted portraits of some of them, right? Lucas: Yes! Rembrandt lived in the Jewish quarter in Amsterdam and painted several portraits of Jewish subjects. There's a famous painting of a rabbi, possibly Menasseh ben Israel, though that's debated. But it shows how the community was part of the fabric of the city. Lucas: And speaking of Menasseh ben Israel — he corresponded with scholars across Europe, including the philosopher John Milton and the scientist Isaac Newton. Newton was obsessed with biblical chronology and even wrote about the Temple of Solomon. Menasseh's writings influenced him. Luna: So the Portuguese Jewish diaspora wasn't just about trade — it was intellectual too. Lucas: Absolutely. They brought with them a rich tradition of scholarship, and in Amsterdam they had the freedom to publish and debate. One of the most famous early modern Jewish philosophers, Baruch Spinoza, was born in Amsterdam to a Portuguese Jewish family. Spinoza was excommunicated by the community for his radical ideas, but his work was shaped by that environment of intellectual ferment. Lucas: And here's something that ties it back to the Portuguese empire: the language of the community was Portuguese. They spoke Portuguese at home, they wrote in Portuguese, and they even had a Portuguese-language synagogue. So in a way, the empire's reach extended into Amsterdam through these refugees, even as Portugal lost its political control. Luna: It's like the empire didn't end at the borders — it lived on in its people. Lucas: Exactly. And that's one reason I wanted to cover this topic — because the Portuguese story isn't just about kings and navigators. It's about the people who were forced out, and what they built elsewhere. Lucas: Let me wrap up with one more thing. The Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam eventually declined in the 18th and 19th centuries as many families assimilated or moved to other cities. But their legacy remains: the Esnoga still holds services, and the archives of the community are a treasure trove for historians. And the diamond trade that they pioneered is still associated with Amsterdam to this day. Luna: It's amazing how one story — people fleeing the Inquisition — connects to so many threads: the Dutch Golden Age, the slave trade, the Enlightenment, even the diamond industry. Lucas: That's the beauty of history. Nothing exists in isolation. And that's why, if you've been enjoying these deep dives into Portuguese history and want to support the show, you can help keep it going. A small contribution from listeners like you makes a big difference — it lets us keep doing this ad‑free, episode after episode. You can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, but it helps. Luna: Yeah, and we really appreciate everyone who does that. It allows us to explore these stories without having to cut for commercials. Lucas: Exactly. So, back to the Portuguese Jews in Amsterdam — there's also a fascinating chapter about how they helped finance the Dutch conquest of Brazil from Portugal. That's a story for another episode, but it shows how the diaspora was directly involved in the empire's wars. Luna: I'd love to hear that one. But for now, let's take a moment to reflect on how the Inquisition shaped not just Portugal, but the world. Lucas: And that's a good point to end on. Thanks for listening, everyone.