Zionist library for boys and girls · 1908-01-01 · 2 · p. [Seite]

Lu&TJig Borne (Lole Barueh) , who was born in the ghetto and later became a lighter for Jewish freedom,- writes ironically about Jewish, life in 1786■ . "The Government is looking after them well- On Sunday they are not allowed to leave the ghetto wallsso as not" to be beaten upby ,drunksrds . They are not allowed to marry so that their children will grow up str on g and: hea l.thy. . On ho 11 days they1 ar e not a 11 owed to leave their houses before 6.p.m. so' that the heat of. the. sun should not harm them.. The/ public baths were forbidden them. They had to wal£ in the fields in order to learn t;o, love nature• When a non-Jew curses them, they have to raise their hats; this polite ness is in orderto strengthen the/bonds between the Jews andthe non-Jews .- In~ 1787 the following petition was sent to Sing Willi elm 11, who appeared to show slightly more consideration towards the Jews: "Through the burden of the unbearable taxes, and the terrible abuse, our nat ion. is humi 11ated, and we arc prevented from making any progress with regard to our economic position and our cultural development.' We are "barred from craftsmanship, agriculture or any kind of service to the State. The only thing left-for us is Trade and even this is greatly restricted... The State itself would profit if we received better treatment and were allowed to become useful members of idw" The only result of this Petition was the cancellation of the Body tax, by which every Jew 'travelling from one part, of Germany to another were obliged to pay a tax. - . «. ■ .. - This briefly was the condition of the Jews in Germany won the eve of the French Revolution, and whereas 0 omnii tt es in Fra nc e w er e a Ir c a dy c on si d er ing th e granting of Ttcitizenship'1 to the Jews, those in Germany were still living under the ghetto-restrictions and laws of 1750. Even as late as 1806, it was still considered that