February 22 1349

Jews are Expelled from Zurich Switzerland

The Jews of Switzerland, being almost exclusively engaged in money-lending, where tolerated because of there wealth and were prosecuted for the same reason. Whenever the Christian inhabitants were heavily indebted to the Jews a pretext was sought to get rid of the latter, and all kinds of crimes were ascribed to them, including ritual murder the poisoning of wells, and the desecration of the host. The first Swiss persecution of the Jews took place at Bern in 1294, when they were accused of having cruelly murdered a boy named Rudolf (Ruff). They were accordingly expelled from the city, although they where soon readmitted. Then cam the plague of the year 1349, when the Black Death raged throughout Switzerland.