Römisch-Kaiserliche Majestät . . . Interventional-Anzeige ( History of the Jews of Frankfurt), [Frankfurt:1773]

Folio (13¾ x 8¼ in.; 350 x 210 mm). pp. [9], 10-168. First and last leaves soiled, lower outer corner of title torn, last two leaves lightly browned. Antique boards.

Katalog, Leo Baeck Institute New York, Bibliothek und Archiv: Bd.1. a/987 p. 96

Folio (13 3/4 x 8 1/4 in.; 350 x 210 mm). pp. [9], 10-168. First and last leaves soiled, lower outer corner of title torn, last two leaves lightly browned. Antique boards.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A legal memorandum addressed to the Holy Roman Emperor (Joseph II) in 1773 concerning a legal dispute between the burghers of Frankfurt and the local Jewish council. The memorandum contains a comprehensive history of the Jewish community in Frankfurt am Main and also includes the Stättigkeiten (regulations) of 1616.

For as long as Jews had been present in the German city of Frankfurt, their legal status was a potent political issue that revolved around the constant tension between ecclesiastical and imperial authorities and which, on a more local level, was a frequent bone of contention in the power struggle between the patrician elements of the Frankfurt town council and the powerful merchant guilds within the city. In 1462 the Jews of Frankfort were transferred to a ghetto consisting of a specially constructed street (Judengasse), enclosed within walls and gates. At around the same time, relations between the city and its Jews were spelled out in regulations called Stättigkeiten. The publication of these statutes in 1613, by the guilds of Frankfurt and their republication the following year by the city fathers fueled the smoldering fire just beneath the surface of Frankfurt politics. On August 5, 1614, a mob led by Vincent Fettmilch, the leader of the guild, attacked the ghetto and forced the Jews to flee from Frankfurt.  After the public insurrection was put down by the Emperor, Fettmilch was executed, an event celebrated by the Jews of Frankfurt for the next 300 years. In 1616, revised Stättigkeiten were issued;  while still subjecting them to onerous restrictions, the new regulations nevertheless guaranteed the safety of the Jews of Frankfurt.  These regulations are also included in the present lot. Informed by documents such as the present memorandum, Joseph II would, in 1782, eventually issue the Toleranzpatent, the first concrete step towards the emancipation of the Jews of German speaking lands.

The Stättigkeiten contains a listing of all of the names of the houses in which the Jews resided along the Judengasse. Listed here are several houses with familiar names, most notably, the house of the Red Shield, where the eponymous Rothschild family would live until they moved up the block and across the Judengasse to the famous house of the Green Shield from which they would launch an empire.