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The Approach Of The Black Death In Switzerland And The Persecution Of Jews, 1348–1349, Albert Winkler
The Approach Of The Black Death In Switzerland And The Persecution Of Jews, 1348–1349, Albert Winkler
Faculty Publications
When the Black Death approached the Swiss states in 1348, the news of the approaching pestilence traveled faster than the Plague. This gave the Swiss time to react and try to prevent its arrival. The Swiss did not know what caused the Black Death, but they feared that the Jews were poisoning water wells in order to cause the plague. At Chillon and elsewhere, Jews were tortured for confessions, which were clearly worthless. In a climate of fear and severe prejudice, Jews were killed in numerous communities including Basel, Bern, Zurich, and Kyburg by being burned to death. Execution by …
The Approach Of The Black Death In Switzerland And The Persecution Of Jews, 1348-1349, Albert Winkler
The Approach Of The Black Death In Switzerland And The Persecution Of Jews, 1348-1349, Albert Winkler
Swiss American Historical Society Review
When the Black Death first arrived in Europe in 1347, it struck along the Mediterranean coast of Italy and southern France. In the following year, the plague swept into central Europe following major trade routes deep into the interior of the continent. The pestilence was one of the most virulent diseases ever to strike the human community, and its impact was devastating, because perhaps a third of the population of Europe died in the next several years. People were dying at an unprecedented rate, and no one knew precisely what the contagion was or how to stop it. 1 A …