"Extra muros, intra muros ..." (Stephan Laux)

As part of the research group “Aschkenas in neuen Lebenswelten” (see project page), Subproject 3 – “Extra muros, intra muros: Access Regulations for Jews in the Imperial and Autonomous Cities of the Early Modern Period between Norm and Practice” – explores the question of whether, and under what legal and practical conditions, Jews were granted access to the imperial and larger autonomous cities of the Holy Roman Empire from the 16th century onward.

At first glance, the situation appears unambiguous: following expulsions in the late Middle Ages, Jews were generally prohibited from entering the inner cities of most imperial cities – with Strasbourg establishing one of the earliest consistent bans in 1390. However, in many of these cities – notably also in Strasbourg – entry was in fact granted to Jews under certain conditions. These exceptions can be understood as interest-driven accommodations made by various urban authorities, institutions, and individuals. According to current research, access regulations were consistently restrictive, but subject to change and highly varied across cities. They concerned numerous factors: time of day and duration of stay, designated areas, status groups, types of activity, and requirements such as permits or fees.

The social and topographical focal points of this issue were the city walls and gates – where inclusion and exclusion took physical form. This project is particularly interested in concrete situations at these boundaries, revealing how authorities acted between formal legal norms and informal practices. This includes both enforceable procedures and evidence of administrative failure, indifference, or deliberate exceptions made on the spot. Regarding the Jewish actors involved, the full spectrum of strategic behaviors must be considered – from formal privileges to informal tactics and evasive maneuvers.

The project will begin with a survey phase, focusing initially on norms and practices that ideally offer insights into the development and transformation of access regulations. A selected number of cities will serve as case studies, with varying degrees of empirical depth. For the first time, a systematic analysis of urban access practices will be undertaken.

This topic remains a significant gap in both Jewish history and comparative urban studies. Access regulations – or their denial – were not limited to Jews: they also affected foreigners, craftsmen, itinerants, nobles, persons of dishonor, and others. As such, this research offers numerous points of connection beyond the Jewish experience and provides promising perspectives for an integrative history of Christian-Jewish urban society.