Ex Ordinatione Inclyti Regni Gubernii [“Laws concerning the Jews of the Habsburg Empire, specifically Bohemia, their religion, education, the constitution of their community, their population, foodstuffs, etc.” ]

(BOHEMIA)

Budvicii [German: Budweis; Czech: Ceske Budejovice]

8th September, 1797

Latin; German and Czech texts face à face

INFAMOUS EDICT OF EMPEROR FRANCIS II ISSUED AT BUDWEIS, BOHEMIA The benighted Emperor Francis II subjected his Jewish subjects to rigid and stern laws. In this new edict, every rabbi is required by law to take a course of philosophical studies (par. 3). Another paragraph (no. 6) discusses the status of the “Schulsinger, der sogenannte Schames” (synagogue singer, the so-called “schamess”). Circumcision is to be performed only by those medically competent to perform the operation (par. 42). Should a family wish to conduct a private prayer service, complete with Torah reading, an annual tax of 50 florin must paid (par. 11). The notorious Familiant Laws, limiting the number of marriage permits issued, and thus severely curbing the growth of the Jewish population, are here reinforced (pars. 25-35). The number of Jewish families was to be frozen at 8,600 which was the number of families counted in the 1789 census (par. 26). When a foreign Jewess is to marry a Jew from a native Bohemian family, a marriage permit can be granted if the foreigner brings into the land a fortune of no less than 5,000 gulden (par. 35)