Aug. 27, 1311

“Moratorium” issued by King Henry VII (Heinrich VII) [Swabian Imperial Cities of Esslingen; Present-day Germany]: “[We, …] grant the municipal chief as well as the city councils and citizens of Esslingen a moratorium/deferment of payment on all debts owed to Jews, who reside in Essligen or in any other location of our empire […] for two years [starting] from the date hereof, no interests will also need to be paid on any debt owed to Jews. […]” [Researcher’s note: Henry VII justifies this moratorium by referring to the costs and efforts (“labores et expensas gravissimas”) the Christian community of Esslingen had to endure in the war against Count Eberhard I of Württemberg whom he calls the enemy (“inimico”). By freeing them of these debts, the citizens of Esslingen are to lead the war that much more vigorously in the future (“viriliter et constanter”).]
Stuttgart, HStA, H 51, U 224, Orig., lat., Perg. (“Main State Archiv of Stuttgart, H 51, U 224, Orig[inal], Latin, [on] parchment paper”); Researched and Translated by Ziba Shadjaani 3/3/2018