Schutzjude
Encyclopedia
Schutzjude was a status for German
Jews granted by the imperial, princely or royal courts.
Within the Holy Roman Empire
, except of some eastern territories gained to the Empire in the 11th and 12th c. (e.g. Brandenburg
), Jews usually had the status as Servi camerae regis
. This status included imperial protection and the levying of special taxes from the Jews in favour of the Empire's treasury (Latin: camera regis). But the emperors, always short in money, alienated — by sale or pledge — their privilege to levy extra taxes from Jews, not all at once, but territory by territory to different creditors and purchasers. Thus Jews lost their — anyway not always reliable — imperial protection.
Many territories, who gained supremacy over the Jews living within their boundaries, expelled them. After the general expulsions of the Jews from a territory often only single Jews — if at all any — were granted the personal — sometimes inheritable by only one son, rarely by all sons, sometimes uninheritable — privilege (usually called Geleitsbrief, Schutzbrief, in Brandenburg the pertaining deed issued used to be called Patent) — to reside within a territory. Jews holding a Schutzbrief (writ of protection), Geleitbrief (writ of escort) or Patent were thus called Schutzjude, vergeleiteter Jude or Patentjude as opposed to Jews (unvergeleitete Juden), who had no right of residence. Unvergeleitete Juden were not allowed to marry, thus they spent their life either unmarried as a member of the household of a privileged relative or employer, holding a privilege.
For example, in October 1763 the King Frederick II of Brandenburg-Prussia
granted Moses Mendelssohn
, until then under the protection of being employed by a Patentjude, a personal, uninheritable privilege, which assured his right to undisturbed residence in Berlin
. His wife and children, who had no independent permission to reside, lost their status of family member of a Patentjude when Mendelssohn died in 1786. They were later granted multi-son inheritable Patents. In 1810 Stein's Prussian reforms
introduced a freely inheritable Prussian citizenship for all subjects of the king, doing away with the different prior legal status of the Estates, such as the Nobility, the burgher
s of chartered the cities, the unfree peasants, the officialdom at the court, the Patent-Jews, and the Huguenot
s.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Jews granted by the imperial, princely or royal courts.
Within the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, except of some eastern territories gained to the Empire in the 11th and 12th c. (e.g. Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
), Jews usually had the status as Servi camerae regis
Servi camerae regis
Servi camerae regis was the status of the Jews in Christian Europe in the Middle Ages. The ruler had the right to tax them for the benefit of his treasury , but at the same time he had a duty to protect them when they were in danger from others...
. This status included imperial protection and the levying of special taxes from the Jews in favour of the Empire's treasury (Latin: camera regis). But the emperors, always short in money, alienated — by sale or pledge — their privilege to levy extra taxes from Jews, not all at once, but territory by territory to different creditors and purchasers. Thus Jews lost their — anyway not always reliable — imperial protection.
Many territories, who gained supremacy over the Jews living within their boundaries, expelled them. After the general expulsions of the Jews from a territory often only single Jews — if at all any — were granted the personal — sometimes inheritable by only one son, rarely by all sons, sometimes uninheritable — privilege (usually called Geleitsbrief, Schutzbrief, in Brandenburg the pertaining deed issued used to be called Patent) — to reside within a territory. Jews holding a Schutzbrief (writ of protection), Geleitbrief (writ of escort) or Patent were thus called Schutzjude, vergeleiteter Jude or Patentjude as opposed to Jews (unvergeleitete Juden), who had no right of residence. Unvergeleitete Juden were not allowed to marry, thus they spent their life either unmarried as a member of the household of a privileged relative or employer, holding a privilege.
For example, in October 1763 the King Frederick II of Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
granted Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn was a German Jewish philosopher to whose ideas the renaissance of European Jews, Haskalah is indebted...
, until then under the protection of being employed by a Patentjude, a personal, uninheritable privilege, which assured his right to undisturbed residence in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. His wife and children, who had no independent permission to reside, lost their status of family member of a Patentjude when Mendelssohn died in 1786. They were later granted multi-son inheritable Patents. In 1810 Stein's Prussian reforms
Prussian reforms
The Prussian reforms were a series of constitutional, administrative, social and economic reforms of the kingdom of Prussia. They are sometimes known as the Stein-Hardenberg Reforms after Karl Freiherr vom Stein and Karl August Fürst von Hardenberg, their main instigators...
introduced a freely inheritable Prussian citizenship for all subjects of the king, doing away with the different prior legal status of the Estates, such as the Nobility, the burgher
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
s of chartered the cities, the unfree peasants, the officialdom at the court, the Patent-Jews, and the Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s.