The 1484 Nuremberg Jewry Oath (More Judaico)*

Abstract

In many territories of the Holy Roman Empire, Jews had been obliged to take a special oath during certain interactions between Jews and Christians since the medieval era. The 1484 Nuremberg Jewry Oath was probably the first Jewry Oath ever to be printed, and it became the dominant model for oath formulas until the eighteenth century. This article explores the legal, historical, and social background of the Jewry Oath, and its role in the history of Nuremberg during the transitional period between manuscripts and early printing. It looks closely at the elements and the conception of the 1484 Jewry Oath, and shows that it was incorporated as rather an afterthought into Die Reformation der Stadt Nürnberg, the city’s innovative, elaborately printed legal code. While its inclusion and careful wording were an acknowledgement that interactions with Jews were vital, and needed a legal framework that was valid for both Christians and Jews, the fact that it was less integrated than other legal rules suggests that its future removal was envisioned. This question is explored in the context of the expulsion of Jews from Nuremberg in 1498–99 and the 1503 edition of Die Reformation der Stadt Nürnberg.