The Jews in Poland, Part I: 1264-1795
By the eighteenth century, writes Adam Zamoyski, four fifths of the world's Jews lived in Poland.
It is estimated that by 1772, before the frontiers of the Polish Republic began to recede, four-fifths of the world’s' Jewish population were contained within them. This was hardly surprising, since they had been progressively expelled from every major state in Europe - from England in 1290, France in 1394, Spain in 1492, Portugal in 1497, Hungary in 1526 - while their nominal toleration in some of the German and Italian cities was belied by events. Poland alone never tried to expel them and encouraged their immigration.
This was not so much the result of noble-mindedness as of a particular set of political and economic conditions. The expulsion of Jewish colonies from other countries had followed a strikingly similar pattern in which two motives were uppermost.
The first was the eagerness of the native merchant class to eliminate the more efficient Jewish competitor. The second was supplied by the Church, sometimes in order to forestall a drift towards Judaism, more often as a means of showing its political power.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
