Sept. 30, 1545

“Writ” of King Ferdinand I [Kingdom of Bohemia/Habsburg Monarchy; Present-day Austria, Czech Republic, etc.]: “King Ferdinand extends the letter of protection/escort (‘Geleitbrief’) to a few Jews and Jewish families, 62 persons in all, for another 3 years starting with Saint George’s Feast and rules that the first seven Jews listed (in the document) are to be seen as the eldest (of the Jewish community), whose function, however, is to only last until the upcoming Saint George’s [Day], at which point, the Bohemian Chamber will renew/determine the office of the eldest.” [Researcher’s note: The above is a translation of a German summary of the original Czech text both of which can be found in the cited source. *A ‘Geleitbrief’ was a letter that allowed the holder of it to live and move freely in the territory for which it was issued. This document was drafted and signed in Prague.]
Zur Geschichte der Juden in Böhmen, Mähren und Schlesien von 906 bis 1620. Herausgegeben von Gottlieb Bondy, em. Präsidenten der Handels- und Gewerbekammer in Prag. Zur Herausgabe vorbereitet und ergänzt von Franz Dworsky, em. Director des Landesarchivs des Königreiches Böhmens. I. 906 bis 1576. (Prag; 1906); (Regarding the history of Jews in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia from 906 to 1620. Published by Gottlieb Bondy, fo[rmer] President of the Trade and Commerce and Industry in Prague. Prepared for publication and supplemented by Franz Dworsky, fo[rmer] Director of the National Archives of the Kingdom of Bohemia. I. 906 to 1576.); (Prague; 1906); Researched and Translated by Ziba Shadjaani 6/24/2019