“Order” of Emperor Louis IV [Kaiser Ludwig der Bayer] [Present-day Germany; Free Imperial City of Frankfurt]: “[…] Our dear chamber-servants, the Jews of Frankfurt, in order to be truly and more likely to be protected, are to accept [no more than] one Pound to one and a half Pounds Heller weekly from the citizens of Frankfort and two Pounds Heller weekly from those who live outside of the city starting immediately and until Christmas of 1338 and a full year after that […] and if we find it appropriate to increase or lower this rate depending on the state of the citizens or the Jews, We will do so. […]” [Researcher’s note: This fixing of maximum interest rates is to be understood in the historical context of the so-called “arm-leather-persecutions” (“Armlederverfolgung”) which occurred between 1336 and 1338.]
Frankfurt, ISG, Privilegien 63, Orig., dt., Perg. (“Institute for City History, Privileges 63, Orig[inal], German, [on] Parchment Paper”); Researched and Translated by Ziba Shadjaani 4/27/2017