Radulphe
Encyclopedia
Radulphe was a French monk who, without permission from his superiors, left his monastery in France and travelled to the Rhine Valley
during the Second Crusade
(1144-1147) where he preached "that the Jews should be slain as the enemies of the Christian religion."
At Cologne
Simon "the Pious" was murdered and mutilated; at Speyer
a woman was tortured on the rack to persuade her to Christianity. Secular prelates did all they could to protect the Jews. Arnold
, the Archbishop of Cologne gave them a fortified castle as refuge, and allowed them to arm themselves; the Crusaders
refrained from attacking the castle, but killed any unconverted Jew that fell into their clutches. Henry I
, Archbishop of Mainz admitted into his house some Jews pursued by a mob; the mob forced a way in, and killed them before his eyes.
The Archbishops appealed to Bernard of Clairvaux
, the most influential Christian of his time; Bernard replied with a strong denunciation of Radulphe, and demanded an end to violence against the Jews. When Radulphe continued his campaign Bernard came in person to Germany, "protested energetically against the unchristian behavior of Radulph." and forced the monk to return to his monastery.
Thereafter in 1147 the mutilated body of a Christian was found at Würzburg
; Christians charged Jews with the crime, and, despite the protests of Bishop Emicho von Leiningen, attacked them, killing 20 and wounding many more; the Bishop buried the dead in his garden.
From Germany, Rodolphe's idea of "beginning the Crusades at home" passed back to France, and Jews were massacred at Carentan
, Rameru, and Sully
. In Bohemia
150 Jews were murdered by Crusaders. After the terror had passed, the local Christian clergy did what it could to help the surviving Jews; and those who had accepted baptism
under duress were allowed to return to Judaism without incurring the dire penalties of apostasy
.
Rhine Valley
The Rhine Valley is a glacial alpine valley, formed by the Alpine Rhine , i.e. the section of the Rhine River between the confluence of the Anterior Rhine and Posterior Rhine at Reichenau and its mouth at Lake Constance....
during the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
(1144-1147) where he preached "that the Jews should be slain as the enemies of the Christian religion."
At Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
Simon "the Pious" was murdered and mutilated; at Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
a woman was tortured on the rack to persuade her to Christianity. Secular prelates did all they could to protect the Jews. Arnold
Arnold I of Cologne
- Life :Arnold's origins are not definitively known. It is assumed he came from the lower Rhenish nobility. He became Provost of St. Andreas in Cologne in about 1124, and was elected the new Archbishop of Cologne in December 1137, after two archbishops had died in that year...
, the Archbishop of Cologne gave them a fortified castle as refuge, and allowed them to arm themselves; the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
refrained from attacking the castle, but killed any unconverted Jew that fell into their clutches. Henry I
Henry I, Archbishop of Mainz
Henry was archbishop of Mainz from 1142 to 1153.In his early years as archbishop he was assisted by Anselm of Havelberg. He supported Friedrich von Staufen as successor to Konrad III of Germany....
, Archbishop of Mainz admitted into his house some Jews pursued by a mob; the mob forced a way in, and killed them before his eyes.
The Archbishops appealed to Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
, the most influential Christian of his time; Bernard replied with a strong denunciation of Radulphe, and demanded an end to violence against the Jews. When Radulphe continued his campaign Bernard came in person to Germany, "protested energetically against the unchristian behavior of Radulph." and forced the monk to return to his monastery.
Thereafter in 1147 the mutilated body of a Christian was found at Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
; Christians charged Jews with the crime, and, despite the protests of Bishop Emicho von Leiningen, attacked them, killing 20 and wounding many more; the Bishop buried the dead in his garden.
From Germany, Rodolphe's idea of "beginning the Crusades at home" passed back to France, and Jews were massacred at Carentan
Carentan
Carentan is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France near the port city of Cherbourg-Octeville. Carentan has a population somewhat over 6,000 and is now administratively organized as a commune in the Manche department...
, Rameru, and Sully
Sully
-People:* Hugh the Red of Sully, 13th century Sicilian general* Bishop Maurice de Sully , oversaw the building of Notre Dame de Paris; Bishop to Philippe II of France...
. In Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
150 Jews were murdered by Crusaders. After the terror had passed, the local Christian clergy did what it could to help the surviving Jews; and those who had accepted baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
under duress were allowed to return to Judaism without incurring the dire penalties of apostasy
Apostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
.