Medieval Jewish Community of Maribor

Abstract

The following article discusses the Jewish presence in medieval Maribor from the 10th century to the expulsion in 1496. The discussion starts with the phenomenon of »Jewish villages« in the area of South-Eastern Alps in the framework of which also the appearance of the Jewish community of Maribor after 1200 should be understood. That community not only turned into a major regional Jewish centre, but also developed its own version of Ashkenazi liturgical rite and in the 15th century partially served as a home for the renowned halachic scholar Rabbi Israel Isserlein. As attested by numerous Jewish and non-Jewish sources, the community had a very rich organisational, cultural and economic life that continued until the expulsion.

Keywords

• jews
• slovenia
• maribor
• middle-ages
• inner austria
• isserlein
• jewish villages