Black Death Persecutions
Between 1348 and 1351, as the bubonic plague devastated Europe, Jews faced false accusations of causing the disease. Rumors spread that Jews poisoned wells to kill Christians, despite Jews dying from the plague at similar rates. This scapegoating led to massacres in cities like Strasbourg and Mainz, where entire Jewish communities perished. Some local authorities tried to protect Jews, while others actively participated in the killings. This period shows how disasters often lead to the targeting of minority groups.
