Rare manuscript from Sassoon Collection
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Rare manuscript from Sassoon Collection

Ledger of ‘Travel protection’ Taxes of German Jewish Communities

1685-1686

Valuable historic documentation of 17th century German Jewish communities!

This 17th century German ledger of community tax payments offers valuable information about the history of Jewish communities on the Rhine and other districts in Germany.

The ledger mentions over 250 cities and towns with Jewish presence in the German Empire, as well as hundreds of names of Jewish residents who dwelled during this time. Some of the prominent cities featured include Frankfurt, Mainz, Metz, Manheim, Michelstadt, Speyer, Worms among others.

Leaf 1a mentions Moreinu Rav Dovid Oppenheim, presumably the illustrious Rabbi Dovid Oppenheim who, at the time, was still a young man living in his native Worms and had not yet officially ascended to the Rabbinate. The list also includes other members of the Oppenheim family.

The dates on the ledger begin at of

Av, 5445 (1685)., .through year 1685

German Travel Tax

The present ledger notes the details of payment of the notorious travel tax which was paid through “Geleitsbatzen”, special travel documents similar to the modern-day passport which verified the payment of the travelers’ security tax. Without these certificates, the guards stationed at checkpoints throughout the country would deny passage to jews within the country.

The authorities compelled the Jewish community of Worms to purchase a specific number of these certificates for an inflated price and to sell them to Jewish travelers from all Germany communities (see Shemesh, Yuspa. Minhagim of the Congregation of Worms. Machon Yerushalayim Ch. 288, comments).

The travel tax imposed on the Jews during this era is referenced in the teshuvah of Rabbi Chaim Yair Bachrach, Av Beis Din of Worms in Shu”t Chavas Yair (Ch. 182). “Reuven and Shimon traveled from Frankfurt to Worms…and since they did not have the travel documentation as required in the Electoral Palatinate… and one who does not have the documentation was fined ten gulden or whatever the tax officer desired…for the documentation lists the name of the document owner that he is permitted to travel in the country, free of taxes…”

The certificates were sold at a considerable price, and the Jewish communities were forced to impose a special tax in order to issue them.

Rabbi Yuspa Shamesh of the Jewish congregation in Worms during this era (d. 1678) writes about this tax under the title “Custom of Collecting Travel Tax”:

“The gabbaim are appointed to [collect] the travel tax that the members of our community are forced to redeem every year from the authorities. And the expense is high, and it is not imposed merely on the members of our community, but on everyone, to the extent that without this documentation, no one may come and go, and thus it is our obligation to [charge it]. Those in need of the travel documentation are those who live within our community and in our environs… and also places that are not under our jurisdiction as Frankfurt and Mainz…all who come within the year to travel via this country, they are all included in the travel tax and the gabbaim are commanded to keep their eyes open upon residents near and far and all who owe this tax, that they should disburse the money, whether willingly or against their will… so all the travel certificates are sold…”

Worms, 1685-1686. Handwritten in mixed Yiddish and Hebrew on long, narrow paper. Page Size: 32.5x10 cm. Page Count: [59] leaves (18 leaves are blank); total of 68 handwritten sides. Back flyleaf includes remnant of 15th century parchment leaf with Latin handwriting and music notes. Condition: Good. Original binding.

Provenance: Sassoon Collection #981 Ohel David Catalog p. 968

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