Michel, Jew of Landau: A Military Leader in the Late Thirteenth Century

In an undated letter to Pope Urban IV (1261–64), Archbishop Werner of Mainz (1259–84) raised serious accusations against Frederick of Eberstein, formerly custodian of Mainz cathedral. Frederick had already previously proceeded with armed forces against the archbishop’s rule, when he supported the Staufen kings in the 1240s. Now he was again exerting military pressure against the Archbishop. The troops who fought against the ecclesiastical prince were led by a certain Jew named Michael. It is very likely that this individual can be identified as Michael the Jew of Landau, who, together with Count Emicho of Leiningen, in 1273 gravely damaged the citizens of Worms by plundering raids. My paper will aim at situating the figure of Michel in his historical context and evaluating his activity, which may appear unusual in a Jewish context but for which other examples may be found.