History of the Jews in Warsaw until 1527

That is the first part of the series The History of Jews in Warsaw. You may also be interested in the following parts.

The First Jews in Warsaw and Masovia

Outline of the historic region of Masovia within the territory of the present-day administrative division @ Poznaniak, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Naturally, it is not possible to name a specific year for the arrival of Jews in Masovia and Warsaw. We only know that a Jewish community already existed in Płock, one of the oldest towns in Masovia and temporarily the capital of the Kingdom of Poland, before 1237. During the 13th century, the founding of towns based on German municipal law increased across Polish territory. These towns had their own jurisdiction and administration, giving Jews a clearly defined social status within them.

In the early centuries of the Polish state during the 10th century, the Duchy of Masovia was economically underdeveloped. As a result, there are very few historical documents concerning social structures, the economy, or cultural developments in this region, let alone Jewish culture. Within the territory of Warsaw itself, there are also no archaeological finds or written testimonies that could confirm the settlement activity of the first Jewish settlers. The very first written mention proving an organised Jewish settlement in Warsaw dates from 1414. The first Jew in Warsaw mentioned by name was called Lazarus. From that year onward, documents regarding trade and credit transactions involving Jews became increasingly common. This suggests that a relatively well-integrated community had already existed beforehand.

The first Jews in Warsaw mainly came from the Polish regions of Lesser Poland and Greater Poland (Małopolska, Wielkopolska), where larger Jewish communities already existed. Some groups most certainly also arrived from German territories, where Jews were repeatedly expelled during the 14th and 15th centuries. They were Ashkenazi Jews, who today make up nearly 70 percent of the Jewish population worldwide.

Motivation

The most difficult question is always “Why?”. It cannot be answered on an individual basis, but generally speaking, the main attraction was the economic opportunity that Masovia offered. After the Polish–Lithuanian Union of 1386, Masovia became more peaceful and therefore safer, while at the same time opening profitable and far-reaching trade routes to the East. Before the union, Masovia had regularly been raided and plundered by Lithuanians and other pagan peoples.

Population

The tax register of Warsaw from 1423 mentions 10 Jewish taxpayers. In the middle of the 15th century, there were thirteen to fifteen Jewish households comprising approximately 130 to 150 people. That represented 3–4 percent of Warsaw’s total population.

The Jewish Street in Warsaw

The Jewish community had its own small quarter within the Old Town. Its main artery was the no longer existing Jewish Street (ulica Żydowska). The platea Judaeorum ran parallel to ulica Św. Marcina (today’s Piwna Street), stretching from Wąski Dunaj to Piekarska Street. It was approximately 54 metres long and 4 metres wide. The first mention of the street dates from 1430.

Jewish Street in Warsaw (Żydowska)

The Jews had access to a synagogue, a ritual bath known as the mikveh, and a kosher slaughterhouse. Outside the city stood the Jewish cemetery, the cimeterium Judaeorum, which according to documents from the time of Prince Bolesław V. (1453–1488) was located on the road to Czersk. This places the cemetery near today’s Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. With only 130 to 150 members in the community, the cemetery was probably not very large. It was closed no later than 1527 following the legally sanctioned expulsion of Jews from the city through the privilege de non tolerandis Judaeis (more in the article: Jews in Warsaw from 1527 to 1795). For the next two centuries, Jews buried their family members in surrounding towns such as Nowy Dwór, Grodzisk, or Sochaczew.

In principle, Jews were excluded from municipal jurisdiction and remained under the personal protection of the Dukes of Masovia, who treated the Jews and their property as part of their own possessions. This also meant they depended entirely on the goodwill and mood of each ruler.

Craftsmen and Merchants

The Jews worked as craftsmen, but above all as merchants, including banking and lending activities. Between 1421 and 1466, 70 percent of loans were granted by Jews. However, financial resources were limited, meaning profit margins remained relatively small.

Jewish-Christian Economic Rivalry

Life for Jews in 15th-century Warsaw is only sparsely documented. It is certain, however, that many conflicts existed between the urban population and the prospering Jewish community. The townspeople wanted to remove their competitors in order to strengthen their own economic position. Between 1454 and 1455, pogroms took place that were initiated by the Bernardines. Yet things became even worse. In 1483, the Jews were forced to leave the city — perhaps the prince was simply in a bad mood — and abandon all their possessions. Only in 1486 were they allowed to return. The decision-maker at the time was Prince Bolesław V. (ca. 1453–1488).

However, conflicts also existed within the Jewish community itself, many of which had to be settled in court (meaning before the prince).

Toward the end of the 15th century, Jews gradually began leaving Warsaw due to poor economic prospects and the growing hostility of the Christian population. The rulers eventually decided that “foreign merchants” were no longer allowed to conduct business in the city. According to the definition of the time, anyone who was not a citizen of the city was considered foreign, and Jews were never regarded as citizens. This ban was later extended to Protestants as well.

The Final Expulsion from the City

The last Dukes of Masovia, Janusz III (left) and Stanisław (centre). On the right stands their sister Anna of Masovia

With the death of the last Dukes of Masovia in 1525, the region became a fiefdom of the King of Poland. On August 25, 1526, King Sigismund I the Old of Poland personally arrived in Warsaw to formally announce the incorporation of the city.

In 1527, Sigismund issued the privilege de non tolerandis Judaeis, which permanently forbade Jews from settling, owning property, or even staying within the territory of the Old and New Towns. For the citizens, this represented the final victory in their struggle for economic dominance in the city. There was, however, one exception: during the General Sejm (sejm walny), which from 1569 onward was regularly held in Warsaw, Jews were allowed to stay in the city and trade as much as they wished. The Jews not only made use of this exception but in some cases ignored its limitations altogether.