Gemeinsam genutzte Ressourcen von Juden und Christen – eine Chance zur Integration?

Abstract

In the agricultural societies of Early Modern History Jews did not only have a share in the available rural common property such as water, pasture or woodland, they also had to pay their share of community charges. The conflicts arising from this contribution are outlined, as in the case of a controversy in Pfersee, a village near Augsburg, during the War of the Spanish Succession. The topic deals with the long-term historical change within the relationship of both religious groups resulting from the exchange processes in terms of the utilization of resources and burden-sharing. The arguments of the Jewish side favoured ›equal‹ contributions while the Christian villagers regarded themselves as the exclusive owners of municipal rights but claimed higher rates from the Jews. Between 1703 and 1712 the dispute in Pfersee culminated in the fundamental question as to whether the Jews were »cives romani« and therefore to be put on an equal footing with the Christians. In the following debate both sides can refer to positions of the contemporary legal literature that ultimately reflect the contradictory or interpretable position of the Jews.