.
Rabbi Meir ben Baruch from Rothenburg. The History of the Jewish Community in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, by Friedrich G. Schaumann 2005.
In this
ancient cellar at the beginning of the Jewish Lane the history of the
Jewish community of the 13thcentury lives once more. It
is the time of the free thinking Stauffer kings and emperors, who
have built their castle on the western edge of the growing city of
Rothenburg. This is the beginning of a liberal century when the land
of the dukes and the land of Franconia were living under modern
conditions for the time, so too the free imperial city of Rothenburg. Foto: the White Tower with the Jews Dance Hall in Galgengasse and in
Buildings on right side the Museums cellar.
At the
crossing of two important trade routes laid this country town of
5,000 inhabitants, of which 500 were of the Jewish faith. The Jews at
this time were well respected merchants who had settled close to the
center of the marketing activity of the town. The blooming city and
the quality of life attracted one of the most well known and
respected men of his time. Rabbi Meir ben Baruch – known to his
friends as Maharam – was a member of a respected, well educated
family.
Already a
serious student at the age of 12, ben Baruch continued his studies at
Würzburg and Paris for the next decade, studying with famous
Talmud teachers. In Paris he was a witness to the pogrom and burning
of the Talmud in the year 1242. At the age of 30, he was attracted to
Rothenburg, where he spend the next 40 years instructing his
students. Those students travelled all over the known world,
spreading his knowledge. His school is only a few steps from this
historic cellar. It was a large building with 21 classrooms and a
meeting room for his students as well as a Bet-Midrasch and a
Synagogue.
In the
first cellar room, the visitor can see a painting of Rabbi Meir ben
Baruch delivered his lessons to his eager students. His most
significant contribution, called the Responses, are still being used
by Jews worldwide more than 750 years later. Foto: Museum catalogue.
In the
next cellar room the visitor sees Trade and Change in the middle aged
city. The Jewish merchants play and important role. Because the Pope
had forbidden the Christians from charging interest on loans, the
Jews took on the function of bankers alongside their merchant
activities. Foto: Trade and Change in the city.
In another cellar room the visitor witnesses the great tragedy and bitter story of how the Jews, including Maharam Rabbi Meir, were victims of the pogroms and murders of Jews of that time. This was after the time of the liberal Stauffer dukes and emperors had passed. Rudolf von Habsburg made the Jews slaves of the state treasury. Rabbi Meir collected his brothers with the intention of taking them to Palestine. He was captured on the way and died after a few years in a dungeon.
Around
1300 a Jewish singer of legends and friend of Rabbi Meir ben Baruch,
Alexander Süskind Wimpfen, after paying a high ransom, managed
to retrieve the bones of the Rabbi for burial in the city of Worms.
Süskind, his fellow and friend, lies in peace beside him. Their
graves are still a pilgrimage place as one can see by the numerous
memory stones placed there by visitors.
.
Friedrich
G. Schaumann, the founder.
Galgengasse
1
91541
Rothenburg o.T.
Germany
Phone: +49
(0)9861 94230 and Fax: (0)9861 942327
Fotos:wirth
Link to
Museum in German, ”Jüdisches Leben in Rothenburg”.
http://blogreiter.typepad.com/blogreiter/2007/06/jdisches_leben_.html
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