The city and Jews

Hundred years ago, Jews had the same rights as every other merchant coming for example from Italy, Burgundy, or Germany. In fact, this meant that Jews can freely settle in Prague, accumulate wealth, trade and also prosper. They were able to do almost everything what they wanted. At that time, it was used to trade with furs, cereals, fine textiles, exotic spices and with many other kinds of goods that were unobtainable or very hard to obtain near Prague. This was the pure magic of dealing in market. Merchants offered shortage goods and received homemade products, money, drafts, foodstuffs, etc. It was advantageous for both sides. Jewish merchants were born to deal, to trade; we can say that their business ran naturally, almost without assistance. Jews prospered in everything and so their profits grew up quickly.

Unfortunately, this began to annoy other non-Jewish inhabitants who started to suspect Jews of thievery; they could not understand Jewish’s economical approach in handling with things, cautiousness in lending money, etc. People began to deplore them, to verbally attack them…this worsening situation had to inevitably terminate in the worst way. Jews were expelled to peripheral parts of the city. They were seeking for a shelter wherever it was possible, but the doors were closing one after another before theirs faces. No one wanted to have something in common with them, even if this person had borrowed a substantial amount of money from them recently.

People are just like that! They do not want to engage in something which is not accepted by the majority in society. Most of them preferred to merge with crowd instead of taking some risk and getting onto troubles. Only a few of them dared to risk and provided escapees a shelter. Jews originally coming from the southern part of Prague found a save place near a synagogue called “Old school”, Jews coming from the western part of Prague occupied the area around the “Old New Synagogue”.