When Rulers Came to Town: Jews in the Urban Processions of Medieval Ashkenaz

The arrival of a monarch to any medieval city was a highly-ritualized event, a production shaped by ceremony and tradition that put the whole city on the urban stage. This talk will discuss the evidence for how Jews participated in these ceremonies when their rulers came to town in French and German lands. When were they included, where were they excluded, and how might these performances reflect Jewish belonging and civic identity in medieval Ashkenaz?