DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52684#0077
JUDAICA & HEBRAICA
65
81 Prozess gegen die Juden von Trient 1475-1476. (German trans-
lation of the original protocols.) Paper manuscript in gothic,
very legible cursive, in two hands uniformly and clearly written,
about 1478. fol. 614 pp. With a beautiful full-page miniated
border including two capitals on background of chiselled gold
and a coat of arms, and with three smaller capitals as
well with many capitals in red, blueorblack. Old blind-
tooled vellum. Frs. 24OO. —
The only known Manuscript of the original protocols of the ce-
lebrated “Ritual Murder” of Simon of Trent, in German, elaborated after
the Latin protocols.
The Latin protocols, united into a code exist only in two Manuscripts,
one at Vienna, Nationalbibliothek, the other at Rome, Vaticana. No other con-
temporary Latin MS. exists, and no contemporary German translation has hitherto
been known.
The notorious case arose through Simon, the 2 Vs year-old son of Andreas
Unverdorben, a cobbler or tanner. The child was found dead in the river, near
the house of Samuel, a Jew, at Trent. Thereupon all the members of the Jewish
community women and diildren included, were arrested and accused, to having
murdered the child, in order to use his blood for ritual purposes at the Passover.
The proceedings against them began on March 28, 1475- Coerced by tortures
to “confess”, the indicted Jews were executed, while the women were punished
in an other way or else baptized. Various people interceded for the accused
but after investigations by a Papal court of jurisconsults the case was finally
declared by a bull of Sixtus IV of June 20, 1478 to be “rite et recte factum”.
Our code begins with the bull mentioned above (p. 1—3) and a detailed
account of the preliminary inquiries (p. 4—23). Then follow the separate pro-
ceedings against the accused, containing the place and time of the examination
with the names of all the persons having been present, detailed statements about
all questions and answers, the tortures employed, the sentences and the exe-
cution. The Hebrew words of the examinations are in Hebrew writing
with transcription and translation, some in transcription and translation only.
Our manuscript is not based upon the code in Vienna, Nationalbiblio-
thek, which does not contain any word in Hebrew writing and differs from
ours in some slight particular. The translator is said to be a Johannes de Fatis,
but this is not proved. The Vienna code was written for the Emperor, the
Vatican code for the Pope, and likewise our code was executed for some prince,
who may have been related to the house of Wiirttemberg, judging from the arms
painted at the beginning of our code.
The code is an important source for a most significant event in
the history of the Jews during the Middle Ages and almost the sole
fully detailed description of a great mediaeval criminal case. It is un-
published and only parts of the Latin code are printed (Civilta cattdica, Serie
XI, vol. VIII—X). The volume is splendidly preserved, the colours of the mi-
niatures are very bright.
See Reproduction, Plate XXII.
GILHOFER & RANSCHBURG, VIENNA, I, BOGNERGASSE 2
65
81 Prozess gegen die Juden von Trient 1475-1476. (German trans-
lation of the original protocols.) Paper manuscript in gothic,
very legible cursive, in two hands uniformly and clearly written,
about 1478. fol. 614 pp. With a beautiful full-page miniated
border including two capitals on background of chiselled gold
and a coat of arms, and with three smaller capitals as
well with many capitals in red, blueorblack. Old blind-
tooled vellum. Frs. 24OO. —
The only known Manuscript of the original protocols of the ce-
lebrated “Ritual Murder” of Simon of Trent, in German, elaborated after
the Latin protocols.
The Latin protocols, united into a code exist only in two Manuscripts,
one at Vienna, Nationalbibliothek, the other at Rome, Vaticana. No other con-
temporary Latin MS. exists, and no contemporary German translation has hitherto
been known.
The notorious case arose through Simon, the 2 Vs year-old son of Andreas
Unverdorben, a cobbler or tanner. The child was found dead in the river, near
the house of Samuel, a Jew, at Trent. Thereupon all the members of the Jewish
community women and diildren included, were arrested and accused, to having
murdered the child, in order to use his blood for ritual purposes at the Passover.
The proceedings against them began on March 28, 1475- Coerced by tortures
to “confess”, the indicted Jews were executed, while the women were punished
in an other way or else baptized. Various people interceded for the accused
but after investigations by a Papal court of jurisconsults the case was finally
declared by a bull of Sixtus IV of June 20, 1478 to be “rite et recte factum”.
Our code begins with the bull mentioned above (p. 1—3) and a detailed
account of the preliminary inquiries (p. 4—23). Then follow the separate pro-
ceedings against the accused, containing the place and time of the examination
with the names of all the persons having been present, detailed statements about
all questions and answers, the tortures employed, the sentences and the exe-
cution. The Hebrew words of the examinations are in Hebrew writing
with transcription and translation, some in transcription and translation only.
Our manuscript is not based upon the code in Vienna, Nationalbiblio-
thek, which does not contain any word in Hebrew writing and differs from
ours in some slight particular. The translator is said to be a Johannes de Fatis,
but this is not proved. The Vienna code was written for the Emperor, the
Vatican code for the Pope, and likewise our code was executed for some prince,
who may have been related to the house of Wiirttemberg, judging from the arms
painted at the beginning of our code.
The code is an important source for a most significant event in
the history of the Jews during the Middle Ages and almost the sole
fully detailed description of a great mediaeval criminal case. It is un-
published and only parts of the Latin code are printed (Civilta cattdica, Serie
XI, vol. VIII—X). The volume is splendidly preserved, the colours of the mi-
niatures are very bright.
See Reproduction, Plate XXII.
GILHOFER & RANSCHBURG, VIENNA, I, BOGNERGASSE 2
