The Legal Status of Jews in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th-18th Centuries

Abstract

In the 16th–18th centuries the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the largest Jewish center in Europe, numbering around 750,000 in the mid-18th century.The specific legal situation of the Jews meant that they constituted a separate state group, which enabled the development of self-government institutions and the flourishing of Jewish life.The legal situation of the Jewish population was determined by many factors: the ordinances of kings and private landowners (primarily privileges for Jewish communities),resolutions of the noble diet and dietines, as well as regulations of the town and church authorities.The diversity of these factors meant that the situation of Jews varied significantly from place to place.