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Throughout the 15th century, the Kindom of Portugal remained largely open to Jewish inhabitants. Portuguese Kings welcomed successful Jewish families to combat the Moors nearby. It is ironic that Portugal welcomed Jews to aid in their fight against Muslims (Tonyjeff).
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Prince Henry of Portugal set up voyages to explore and discover new trade routes in order to compete with the Italians. He hired Jews. The Jewish navigators created new maps which changed the way people at the time viewed the world. (Foresman)
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In Austria, Jews are imprisoned and expelled by order of King Albert V. Albert was ethninically Austrian but was the Holy Roman Emperor at the time of this edict. The remaining Jews that failed to leave were publically executed and their property was burned. (Mielich)
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This Papal Bull issued by the Catholic Church threatened excommunication on slave owners that had Christian slaves. Because of this, Christian slaves were replaced by Muslim and Jewish slaves. Through the bull, these Jewish and Muslim slaves had to wear a "badge of infamy" in order to denote their low status in society. (Monniaux)
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Throughout the 15th century many Jews established themselves as successful merchants and bankers. Specifically in Italy, local rulers encouraged Jewish immigration for this reason despite the public hatred of Jews. These successful Jews became the beginnings of the middle class that had never before existed. (Hellqvist)
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King Alfonso V, King of Naples and Sicily, orders Jews in Sicily to convert to Catholicism. This forced conversion was a precursor to the Spanish Inquisition that followed the unification of Spain. During this time there was an increase in the English Jewish population as Jews left Southern Europe. (Pisanello)
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In 1438, the Jews were forced to live in a special Jewish quarter situated on the site referred to as the mellah in New Fez. Mellah is Arabic for salt. The community obtained the name because they salted the heads of executed prisoners before theyh were publically displayed. (Fez, Morocco Jewish History)
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The printing press saw the beginning of mass printing of books in the vernacular of the common people. This allowed for the greater spread of literature and literacy among people who didn't speak latin. Specifically for Jews, the printing press allowed for the printing of books, including the Torah, in Hebrew. (A Timeline of Jewish History)
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After the death of King Albert V, Fredrick III became the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire of Central Europe. Unlike his family that had preceded him, Fredrick was sympathetic to Jews that were being persecuted throughout Europe. He promoted Jews to move to his kingdom throughout his rule. (Coat of Arms of Frederick III)
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This Papal Bull issued by Pope Eugenius IV, denounced Christians that still practiced certain Jewish rituals and traditions. These included the Sabbath, circumcision, and the following of Jewish laws. Jews that practiced these rituals were persecuted throughout Europe. (Sagredo)
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Forty-one Jews are burned at the stake in Breslau, Poland. The Jews in this area had been blamed for a weak economy and for poor harvests throughout the mid-1400's. This retaliation was not limited only to Poland, but was common in almost all European countries at the time. Theories and conspiricies circulated that Jewish people were hoarding money and sabotaging crop production. (Myasoyedov)
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The formation of the Spanish Inquisition was implanted to interrogate, identify, and punish the non-Catholics throughout the kingdom of Spain. Secret police and traveling justices were commissioned by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to eradicate other faiths. It was common for the secret police to torture Jews in order to force them to admit to crimes that they did not commit. The Inquisition forced Jews to move to other areas throughout Europe for safety. (Damhoudere)
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The Spanish Inquisition ended in 1492. During the Inquisition the Catholics took over Spain, while England was also Catholic. Spain took this to an extreme level and forced all of the Jews to either become Catholic or they would be killed. (The End of Spanish Jewry)
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The removal of Jews from England, France, and Spain caused a large movement of Jews to the Netherlands and specifically Amsterdam. These Jews were mostly of the merchant class and would be a driving force behind the powerful Dutch economy. Ironically these Jews would economically compete directly with England. (Sodacan)
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Rabi Yosef Caro created the universal Code of Jewish Law,the Shulkhan Arukh, which gave the Jews a unprecedented written source which shed light on every unique scenario. Jews could live spread apart as they now had a source of Judaism to take with them. (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Im Likkutei Piskei Teshuvos)
