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The 13th century was for the Jews at the same time a time of greatest, tremendous enrichment and the beginning of increasing persecutions. It must be noted that these usually did not start from above, but from below. As in ancient times, the Jews succeeded in
Medieval and modern times by repeatedly winning the favor of the great. It was precisely because individual kings, secular and spiritual princes, the authorities of the cities, gave up their subjects to exploitation by the Jews in order to obtain money, that bitterness grew in the lower strata of the people: just as it was against the Roman Pontifical church. Finally, the Jews were expelled from Western and Central Europe. The religious opposition played a role in this only to the extent that excessive insults of the Jews against Christ and Christianity became known.
In England, the impetus for the expulsion of the Jews (1291) was the discovery of widespread Jewish counterfeit coins.
In France, the Jews gained great wealth and extensive land ownership during the 13th century. Although it followed in the beginning in the 14th century, the property was confiscated several times, but the Jews found protection under the kings Louis X and Charles V. In exchange for enormous tribute payments, they were allowed an interest rate of up to 80% on their financial transactions. The bitterness of the people forced their complete expulsion in 1394.
Particularly instructive is the history of Spain. Time and again, the accumulated anger of the people erupted over economic oppression and the treachery of the Jews, over mockery of Christianity and of quackery. We hear of the Jewish financial advisors to the kings; their activities were particularly severe under Alfonso I (1325-1380) and his brother Don Pedro.
"The Jews suck the blood of the afflicted Christians and consume their goods through tax farming," states an old chronicle. The public outrage grew, and around 1480, massive persecutions of Jews began.
