The Munich Blood Libel, 1285

12 October, 1285
Munich, Bavaria

Jews had been living in Munich for only a generation when, in a classic blood libel, they were accused of purchasing a Christian child and murdering him. According to the rumors, the Jews had taken a young, Christian boy into the basement of the synagogue and pricked him with pins in order to bleed him.

As the rioting Christians stormed the Jewish quarter, the Jews fled to the wooden synagogue for sanctuary. The rioters set fire to the building, killing 180 inside and wiping out the community.

The Nuremberg Memorbuch (memory book) records the names of 67 of the dead. In the Ashkenazi world, Memorbuchs were used to record the names of Jews killed over generations. They help keep alive the stories of past persecutions. Names listed were recited during the year as part of prayers for the dead. These books were responsible for making sure that the stories stayed alive and fresh in the Jewish conscience.

When the incident was investigated by King Rudolph, the accused were found to be innocent and their accusers were punished. (Jewish Encyclopedia)

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