Jewish Community Palma de Mallorca

In the Balearic Islands Jews lived since the 2nd century . Until the 12th century they experienced several persecutions. At the beginning of the 14th century , tensions between Christians and Jews increased.

The Jews in Spain were called Sephardim after the Hebrew term –Sfarad- for Spain. They can be traced üover two thousand years far into the Roman Empire. The flowering of Jewish culture and economy, medicine and science was ended by the Edict of Expulsion in 1492. Jews were forced to convert or flee. Baptized Jews were called Marranos, on Mallorca Xuetas, both terms derived from expressions for pigs.

In Spain, converted Jews were always viewed with suspicion, since the early 16th century until more recent times, the „limpieza desangre“ was required for state offices, the purity of blood. This was to exclude Jewish applicants.

In 1391 there were massacres of Jews in Mallorca, many were killed. Freedoms were significantly restricted.
In 1495, there were trials and burnings of several Jews, many Jews let themselves be baptized to escape persecution. Many Jews, including famous scientists, fled abroad.

At the beginning of the 16th century, several people who had been baptized only for appearances were accused and burned.

These Xuetas or crypto-Jews lived out their religion in secret. The names were known, connections with these families were avoided.

In Palma there were two synagogues in the course of time, in which, however, no more congregations G'ttesdienst celebrate.

Only in the late 19th century it came again to the zögerlichen influx of Jews. In modern times, a Jewish community was again established with a synagogue in Palma.