Surrounded by Christian Loans: The “Scheffstraße Judenpuech” of Vienna (1389-1420)

The Juden puech (Book of the Jews) with its more than 330 entries of Jewish loans given in the Scheffstraße quarter (today a part of Vienna’s 3rd district) between 1389 and 1421, comprises only appr. one third of a thick quarto volume hosted in the Austrian State Archives, but it is the only part who is available in edition (Arthur Goldmann, Vienna 1908). The other parts, the land registers of the “Scheffstraße” quarter, which traditionally was under the rule of the Austrian Duchess, and, of special interest, der Christen puech (Book of the Christians) which registrates loans given by Christians for Christians, did not find the attention of a possible editor. This Christian “Satzbuch” was hardly mentioned in Vienna’s historical works nor was it used for medieval economic analyses.

Therefore, my paper will compare the Christian and the Jewish book of loans in economical and social terms. I want to examine the social strata and positions of the creditors and the debtors and their relation between male and female actors and participants. I shall compare the given sums, the terms and conditions of the loans, the pawns and securities, and, if possible, find out the rates of interest. The goal is to state basic differences and accordance between Christian and Jewish loans and their function as economic impact and as Jewish-Christian contact zone in the Vienna’s social life. While Jewish life ended cruelly in the “Geserah” of 1421, the Christians loans were registered until the year 1557.