German manuscript. Revidirtes General-Privilegium und Reglement, vor die Judenschaft in Königreiche Preussen…(f.75v). [“Revised Privileges and Laws of Jewry in Royal Prussia."]

(GERMANY)

April 17th

Berlin

1750

List of the Schutz-Juden and Their Dependents Allowed Residence in the Prussian Capital (April 17th,1750). This is an inestimably important historic manuscript in which King Frederick II of Prussia granted privileged Jews (referred to as "Schutzjuden" or "Protected Jews") and their immediate families the right to reside in Berlin. The List at the end of our document (ff.76-79) is identical to that published by Selma Stern in his collection Der preussische Staat und die Juden (Pt. III [Tübingen, 1971], pp. 236-244 [No.103]). However, our version differs significantly from that published by Ismar Freund in his work Die Emanzipation der Juden in Preussen (Vol. II [Berlin, 1912)], pp. 56-60). (Stern apparently was unaware of the wide divergence between the two versions, for he writes that the List was also published by Freund: "Druck auch bei Ismar Freund…" Stern, op. cit., p.236, n.2.) Essentially, the variants amount to the following startling finding: Jews who were in the class of "Neu-Privilegirten" ("New-Privileged") in Freund's version, have been upgraded to "Alt-Privilegirten" ("Old-Privileged") in our manuscript, meaning that our list of names is the later version. In Freund's breakdown, there are but 101 "Old-Priveleged Jews" starting with Moses Levi Gumpert (No. 1) and ending with Isaac Fränkel (No. 101). There then follows a list of "New-Priveleged Jews" commencing with Leifmann Behrends (No.102). Whereas in our manuscript, the list of "New-Privileged Jews" commences with Leiffmann Berends (No.153). In other words, a total of 51 names have been added to the list of "Old-Privileged Jews