MMW 13 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Iceberg, Judenfrei, Human Sacrifice
Main Thesis: The extent to which a community allows seeds of discrimination
and prejudice to nurture in times of relative stability and peace will generally
predetermine how violently it responds when crisis erupts
The Mechanism of Persecution
At first may seem benign or harmless at first
i)
The “Innocuous” Seeds of Prejudice
How a culture of persecution festers
Harmless fun or isolated exceptions?
(1)
i)
How can we best safeguard our humanity and tolerance when crisis
hits?
ii)
a)
Understanding persecution “historically”?
Social mechanism behind persecution
i)
Anti-Semitism in Europe as a case-study
How did it become culturally sanctioned?
How did it become celebrated in a way?
(a)
How did it become part of law or part of religious
practices
(b)
(1)
ii)
b)
I)
The Trial of Endingen in 1470
The Setting
Three Jewish brothers found guilty of ritual murder
Murder that was performed part of religious ritual
(1)
Stripped--> wrapped in cow hide--> tied to horse tails-->
burned at the stake
(2)
i)
Expulsion of the entire Jewish community from a small German
town of 1,000
ii)
Emperor Frederick III’s letter of rebuke to Karl of Baden
Warned “not to undertake any more violence against a single
Jew or Jewess so as to avoid Imperial and Our great
displeasure” (249)
(1)
iii)
a)
Political Implications in the 15th century Breisgau Valley
German townships and Swiss cantons vs. Habsburg empire’s
i)
b)
I)
Lecture 17
Friday, May 11, 2018
10:05 AM
Document Summary
Main thesis: the extent to which a community allows seeds of discrimination and prejudice to nurture in times of relative stability and peace will generally predetermine how violently it responds when crisis erupts. At first may seem benign or harmless at first a) How can we best safeguard our humanity and tolerance when crisis hits? b) How did it become culturally sanctioned? (a) (b) How did it become part of law or part of religious practices. Three jewish brothers found guilty of ritual murder (1) (2) Murder that was performed part of religious ritual. Stripped--> wrapped in cow hide--> tied to horse tails--> burned at the stake. Expulsion of the entire jewish community from a small german town of 1,000. Emperor frederick iii"s letter of rebuke to karl of baden (1) Warned not to undertake any more violence against a single. Jew or jewess so as to avoid imperial and our great displeasure (249) b)
