Expulsion of Jews from Lower Bavaria (1450)

In 1450, Duke Louis IX of Bavaria-Landshut expelled Jewish communities from Lower Bavaria. Following a four-week imprisonment and a fine of 32,000 florins, the Jews were banished on October 5. This action followed earlier expulsions in Upper Bavaria and a period of deteriorating conditions under Louis's rule.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Jewish merchants had settled in Bavaria since early times, though they faced periodic expulsions, including by Louis the Strict in 1276 and Louis the Bavarian in 1314. In 1442, Duke Albrecht banished Jews from Upper Bavaria, prompting them to seek refuge in Lower Bavaria under Henry of Landshut, who welcomed their financial contributions.

Coercion and Expulsion. Louis IX, known as Louis the Wealthy, was sometimes called "the enemy of kindness and of the Jews." He conceived a plan for their wholesale conversion to Christianity. After detaining them in various prisons for four weeks and imposing a fine of 32,000 florins, he ordered their outright banishment on October 5, 1450.

Aftermath. Despite the expulsion, Jews eventually found their way back to Bavaria, as conditions elsewhere were even more stringent. The Jewish question remained a political issue in Bavaria until the Bavarian Diet addressed it again in 1831, following the lead of other South German states.

People involved

Sources

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