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Friday, April 5, 1963
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
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D«‘f< “at of Another Hainan in 1616
The Fettmilch Riots
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The Execution of Vincent Fettmilch and his comrades in Frankfurt-on-the Main in Feb
ruary 1616 (From an etching in the art collection of Jewish community in Berlin.)
By RUTH MORRIS
In the early 17th century, the
wretched conditions prevailing
as a result of the Thirty Years’
War, made the Jews an excellent
scapegoat for all evils in the
wake of a long bloody war. The
nature of Jewish life during the
first century of the ghetto is best
illustrated by an event that took
place in Frankfort-on-the Main
between 1612 to 1616.
Unemployment among the low
er classes of the city had caused
much unrest. But the Patrician
rulers of the town refused to do
anything about it. This sit
uation gave the ruthless, am
bitious demagogues the oppor
tunity to stir up trouble. In true
anti-Semitic manner, they chose
the Jews as scapegoats and pe
titioned that all the inhabitants
of the ghetto be expelled. Their
ringleader was a stout baker
named Vincent Fettmilch w'ho
delivered fiery, rabble rousing
speeches against the Jews. The
ghetto was stormed. Heroically
the Jews tried to defend them
selves, but the furious mob set
their houses on fire. On August
12, 1614, three thousand, two
hundred eighty Jews were herd
ed into the cemetery and then
driven out of the city with
nothing but their lives. They
scattered through the neighbor
ing towns and villages, most of
them being received by the
friendly towns of Offenbach and
Hanau. For two years they were
supported by the charity of other
Jews.
Despite emperor Mathias’ strict
orders for the apprehension of
Fettmilch and his followers, and
his band laid upon them, the
rebels for a long time escaped
arrest by the imperial commis
sioner, so fearful were the city
authorities of Fettmilch’s power
and influence.
The Patricians of Frankfort,
however, afraid of the mob,
turning against them since they
had no other scapegoat, sought
and found help in the emperor,
who, since the expulsion of the
Jews, had missed their high an
nual taxes which they paid to
his treasury. Now emperor Math
ias sent his troops to Frankfort
to restore order. Finally, on
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February 28, 1616, Fettmilch and
his aides were caught and sen
tenced to die as rebels. The self-
styled Haman was gruesomely
executed together with five other
leaders of the mob.
Triumphant Return of the
Exiled
The Jews were invited to re
turn to a larger and more com
fortable ghetto. A parade of im
perial soldiers led them trium
phantly to the accompaniment of
music under the city gate, which
was decorated with Fettmilch’s
head on a spike. His house was
razed and his family exiled. This
drastic punishment was to serve
as a warning to others.
The emperor ordered that an
indemnity of 175,919 florins be
paid by the city to the Jews of
Frankfort.
The grateful Jews kept the
19th of Adar as a fast day, in
memory of their trials, the 20th
of Adar was observed as a fes
tival, Purim Winz (Vincent’s
Purim) in commemoration of
their escape from danger. The
Adon Olam is sung to a special
melody on this day. An account
of the Jewish cultural events of
the period may be found in a Abraham Helen entitled Meg-
long poem written in Hebrew and ilath Winz.”
Yiddish by Rabbi Elhanan ben © «tandawd r*ATU*am
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