Judenportraits mit Spitzhut

In the outer left arch of the Gothic south portal of St. Mary's Church there are two portrait heads of Jews with a pointed hat. They were created in the 2nd half of the 14th century. Since 1215, the 4th Lateran Council, Jews and Muslims had to distinguish themselves from Christians by wearing special markings (Jews: pointed hat or yellow ring on clothes). Although the practical effect of such requirements remained small, they increased social control and stigmatized Jews. They also led to the increasing disappearance of pointed hats as voluntarily worn and positively connoted components of Jewish and Oriental clothing tradition.