MMW 13 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Scapegoating, Paradigm Shift, Extortion
19 May 2018
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Outline Lecture Sixteen—Hysteria and Ethnic Scapegoating in
Spain
Key Questions:
1) What impact did the Black Death have on the legacy of anti-Semitism in
Europe?
2) How did anti-Semitism intensify in Spain between the 14th and 17th
centuries?
I) Anti-Semitism and the Black Plague
a) Outbreak of Pogroms
- Central to history of anti-semitism in europe
- Organized mob attacks targeted against the Jews
i) Coincided with plague’s arrival in southern France and Spain in 1348
- Erupted around the same time the Black plague arrived in these areas
- illness/disease can be blamed on the jews, they were the ones
poisoning the wells
-
Fermented by hysteria spread by flagellants → tendency to find the
blame/root cause of the illness led itself to scapegoating
- Strong desire to purge evil from myths, conveniently targeting
minority, or the jewish communities
ii) Bloodiest killings in “aljames” in northern Spanish
- Christian mobs invaded aljames (Jewish enclaves)
b) Royal Response in Spain
i) King Pedro IV’s symbolic condemnation of the anti-Semitic pogroms
- Displeased with violence
- instructed lawyers to honor legal claims of jews that had died
- Pogroms always tried to destroy loan documents
- Many jewish families were financiers, worked in loaning
money
- Took a year and a half for king to do any precautionary measures
against pogrom violence
ii) To what extent was the violence culturally sanctioned? To what extent
did the authorities turn a blind eye?
- Why did the authorities have such a delayed response?
II) The Black Death as “Watershed” in European Anti-Semitism
a) Turning Point for Jewish-Christian Relations?
- Transition point of anti-semitism in europe
i) Some historians argue isolated cases signaled no “paradigm shift”
- Pogroms were isolated incidents that have no lasting impact - some
historians argue this
ii) Others believe Black Death gave anti-Semitism a “normative”
foundation in Europe
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Key questions: what impact did the black death have on the legacy of anti-semitism in. Europe: how did anti-semitism intensify in spain between the 14th and 17th centuries, anti-semitism and the black plague, outbreak of pogroms. Central to history of anti-semitism in europe. Organized mob attacks targeted against the jews: coincided with plague"s arrival in southern france and spain in 1348. Erupted around the same time the black plague arrived in these areas illness/disease can be blamed on the jews, they were the ones poisoning the wells. Fermented by hysteria spread by flagellants tendency to find the blame/root cause of the illness led itself to scapegoating. Strong desire to purge evil from myths, conveniently targeting minority, or the jewish communities: bloodiest killings in aljames in northern spanish. Christian mobs invaded aljames (jewish enclaves: royal response in spain, king pedro iv"s symbolic condemnation of the anti-semitic pogroms. Displeased with violence instructed lawyers to honor legal claims of jews that had died.
