Big Jewish fire
The Great Jewish Fire was a catastrophe that occurred on January 14, 1711 in Frankfurt's Judengasse . It was remembered as one of the greatest fire disasters that Frankfurt am Main has ever struck.
course
The fire broke out around eight o'clock in the evening in the Eichel house of the chief rabbi Naphtali Cohen . With a front width of over 9.50 meters, the house located roughly in the middle of the ghetto opposite the synagogue was one of the largest in the whole street. The strong wind and the narrowness of the alley favored the rapid spread of the fire, as did the timber-framed houses , without adequate firewalls and with wide overhangs towards the middle of the alley.
For fear of looting, the residents kept the gates of the alley locked for a long time until the population of the Christian neighborhoods around Judengasse forcibly gained entry for fear of the fire spreading. Nevertheless, it was not possible to bring the fire under control. After 24 hours, all but one of the 200 houses in the ghetto were burned. Because the wind had turned at the last moment, the fire did not spread to the surrounding neighborhoods. The massive Mönchsturm , a fortress tower filled with powder and ammunition of all kinds on the west side of Judengasse, was also spared the fire.
Four people lost their lives in the fire and numerous valuables were lost, including books, manuscripts and Torah scrolls . Many residents lost all their belongings in the fire. After the disaster, the residents of the alley were allowed to rent Christian houses in Frankfurt until their houses were rebuilt. Those who could not afford this were forced to seek refuge with Jewish communities in Offenbach am Main , Hanau , Rödelheim and other places in the area. Jews who had lived in the alley without the permission of the council - the so-called Stätigkeit - were expelled.
Consequences of the fire
The council issued strict building regulations for the reconstruction of the alley. The architectural drawings that have been preserved today allow a fairly good reconstruction of the old Judengasse.
Rabbi Naphtali Cohen, a great-grandson of the famous Prague Rabbi Judah Löw , was blamed for the outbreak of the fire. The background was his alleged belief that he had found a talisman against fire spirits, which led to speculation about a failed conjuring. An investigation finally revealed his innocence. But he found no more support in the Frankfurt Jewish community. In order to raise the deposit of 1,550 guilders (about four average annual salaries), he had to resort to the help of foreign Jews who came to Frankfurt for the spring fair. On March 21, 1711 he was released and allowed to leave the city. He returned to Prague with his family, only to move to Palestine a few years later . On the way there he died in Constantinople in 1719 .
The Jewish community of Frankfurt celebrated the anniversary of the fire, according to the Jewish calendar the 24th Tevet , henceforth as a day of penance and fast. The parish council ordered strict asceticism. For years, parishioners were not allowed to play theater or games (except chess ). By the end of the ghetto in 1796, the Jewish community never regained its former strength.