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Vol. 82 (1994): Our Past

Miscellanea

A trial for insulting the host by Jews in Lviv in 1636

  • Stefan Gąsiorowski
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52204/np.1994.82.353-357  [Google Scholar]
Published: 2023-12-09

Abstract

In the 16th and 17th centuries in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth there was an intensifying wave of accusations and trials against Jews regarding alleged ritual murders and desecration of the host. This phenomenon was related to Counter-Reformation propaganda, which mobilized the population for anti-Jewish demonstrations. One of the less known trials of this type was the trial for insulting the host in 1636 in Lviv. The incident occurred on May 26, 1636, when a funeral procession with the body of a Jewish girl appeared during the procession with the Blessed Sacrament. This situation caused confusion, and the porter of the Dominican monastery was attacked by a group of Jews. As a result, there were fights and the porter was overpowered. Following this, a fight broke out and several people were injured. The next day, the Jewish community filed a complaint against the Dominicans, accusing them of disturbing the funeral procession and insulting Christian rites. As a result of a detailed autopsy of the two injured Jews, numerous bodily injuries were found. As a result, the Crown Tribunal found the Jews guilty of causing riots and insulting the Blessed Sacrament, ordering them to avoid crossing the Dominican square with the coffins. It seems that the lenient sentence was the result of King Władysław IV's favor towards dissenters. Before the trial took place, the Dominicans reacted to the incident relatively late, which may indicate the Jewish community's fear of repression. The hearing was therefore amicable, intended to alleviate tensions between religious denominations. Ultimately, funeral processions were banned from passing through the Dominican Square, which was intended to prevent similar incidents in the future.

References

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