[since 1624: Ghetto under
Ferdinand II - 1635: walking rights - hospitals - refugees from
Chmielnicki massacres]
They suffered during the Thirty Years' War (1618-48) as a result of the
occupation of the city by Imperial soldiers. In 1624 Emperor *Ferdinand
II confined the Jews to a ghetto situated on the site of the
present-day Leopoldstadt quarter. In 1632 there was were 106 houses in
the ghetto, and in 1670 there were 136 houses accommodating 500
families.
A document of privilege issued in 1635 authorized the inhabitants of
the ghetto to circulate within the "inner town" during business hours
and Jews also owned shops in other streets of the city. Some Jews at
this time were merchants engaged in international trade; others were
petty traders.
The community of Vienna reassumed its respected position in the Jewish
world. In addition to other communal institutions they maintained two
hospitals. Among rabbis of the renewed community were Yom Tov Lipman
Heller, and Shabbetai Sheftel *Horowitz, one of the many refugees from
Poland who fled the *Chmielnicki massacres of 1648.
[1669: Expulsion of the Jews under
Leopold I - no arrangement possible - some conversions]
Hatred by the townsmen of the Jews increased during the mid-17th
century, fanned by the bigotry of Bishop Kollonitsch. Emperor Leopold
I, influenced by the bishop as well as the religious fanaticism of his
wife, and sustained by the potential gains for his treasury, decided to
expel the Jews from Vienna once again. Though Leo *Winkler, head of the
Jewish community at the time, arranged for the intervention of Queen
Christina of Sweden on behalf of the Jews it was of no avail, as was an
offer to the emperor of 100,000 florins to limit the expulsion.
The poorer Jews were expelled in 1669; the rest were exiled in the
month of Av, 1670, and their properties taken from them. The Great
Synagogue was converted into a Catholic church, the "Leopoldskirche".
The Jews paid the municipality 4,000 florins to supervise the Jewish
cemetery. Of the 3,000-4,000 Jews expelled some made their way to the
great cities of Europe where a number succeeded in regaining their
fortunes. Others settled in small towns and villages. According to the
testimony of the Swedish ambassador at the time, some of the Jews took
advantage of the offer to convert to Christianity so as not to be
exiled.
[1693: Rich Jews allowed to settle
in Vienna - high taxation]
By 1693 the financial losses to the city were sufficient to generate
support for a proposal to readmit the Jews. This time, however, their
number was to be much smaller, without provision for an organized
community. Only the wealthy were authorized to reside in Vienna, as
"tolerated subjects", in exchange for a payment of 300,000 florins and
an annual tax of 10,000 florins. Prayer services were permitted to be
held only in private homes. The founders of the community and its
leaders in those years, as well as during the 18th century, were
prominent *Court Jews, such as Samuel *Oppenheimer, Samson *Wertheimer,
and Baron Diego *Aguilar.
As a result of their activities, Vienna became a center for Jewish
diplomatic efforts on behalf of Jews throughout the empire as well as
an important center for Jewish philanthropy. In 1696 Oppenheimer
regained possession of the Jewish cemetery and built a hospital for the
poor next to it.
[Hierosolymitian foundation for
Jews in Palestine 1742-1918 - Sephardi community since 1737]
The wealthy of Vienna supported the poor of Erez Israel; in 1742 a fund
of 22,000 florins was established for this purpose, and until 1918 the
interest from this fund was distributed by the Austrian consul in
Palestine (see *Hierosolymitanische Stiftung [[Hierosolymitian
foundation]]). A Sephardi community in Vienna traces its origins to
1737, and grew as a result of commerce with the Balkans.
[Anti-Semitic legislation under
Maria Theresa 1740-1780 - Toleranzpatent under Joseph II since 1781 -
Hebrew printing press since 1793]
During the 18th century the restrictions on the residence rights of the
"tolerated subjects" had prevented the rapid growth of the Jewish
population in Vienna. There were 452 Jews living in the city in 1752
and 520 in 1777. The Jews suffered under the restrictive legislation of
*Maria Theresa (1740-80). In 1781 their son, Joseph II, issued his
*Toleranzpatent, (col. 123)
which though attacked in Jewish circles, paved the way in some respects
for later emancipation. Religious studies and sermons were delivered
illegally by the scholars of the community or by rabbis who had been
called upon to visit the town.
By 1793 [[Napoleon time]] there was a Hebrew printing press in Vienna
that soon became the center for Hebrew printing in Central Europe (see
below). During this period the first signs of assimilation in the
social and family life of the Jews of Vienna made their appearance, and
there was a decline in the observance of tradition.> (col. 124)
<Hebrew Printing.
In the 16th century a number of books were published in Vienna
which had some rough Hebrew lettering (from wood-blocks?):
-- Andreas Planeus' Institutiones Grammatices Ebreae, printed by Egyd
Adler, 1552
-- J.S. Pannonicis' De bello tureis in ferendo, printed by Hanns
Singriener, 1554
-.- and Paul Weidner: Loca praecipuo Fidei Christianae, printed by
Raphael Hofhalter, 1559.
Toward the end of the 18th century extensive Hebrew printing in Vienna
began with the court printer Joseph Edler von Kurzbeck, who used the
font of Joseph *Proops in Amsterdam. He employed Anton (later: von)
Schmid (1775-1855), who chose printing instead of the priesthood. Their
first production was the Mishnah (1793). In 1800 the government placed
an embargo on Hebrew books printed abroad and thus gave him a near
monopoly. His correctors were Joseph della Torre and the poet Samuel
Romanelli (to 1799), who with Schmid printed his
Alot ha-Minah for Charlotte
Arnstein's fashionable marriage (1793).
Among the works they printed were a Bible with Mendelssohn's
Biur (1794-95) and David
Franco-Mendes'
Gemul Atalyah
(1800). Schmid also issued the 24th Talmud edition (1806-11) and the
Turim (1810-13) with J.L.
Ben-Zeev's notes on
Hoshen Mishpat.
Besides Kurzbeck and Schmid there were other rivals and smaller firms:
Joseph Hraszansky, using a Frankfort on the Main font, opened a Hebrew
department in Vienna. Among his great achievements are an edition of
the Talmud (1791-97). In 1851 "J.P. Sollinger's widow" began to print
Hebrew texts including a Talmud, with I.H. *Weiss as corrector
(1860-73). Special mention must also be made of the Hebrew journals
printed in Vienna including
*Bikkurei
ha-Ittim (1820/21-31),
Kerem
Hemed (1833-56),
Ozar Nehmad
(1856-63),
Bikkurei Ittim
(1844),
Kokhevei Yizhak
(1845-73), and
Ha-Shahar
(1868-84/5).> (col. 131)
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