“Extract of the Privilege” issued by Emperor Ferdinand I [Present-day Germany; Holy Roman Empire]: “We, Ferdinand, elected Roman Emperor by the grace of God [bestow upon the mayor and City Council of Reutlingen and its citizens the liberty to no longer to allow …] a Jew or Jewess to make (usurious) loans on any immovable or movable property [to anyone in Reutlingen …] without the prior knowledge and permission [of the authorities … Violators are to lose their capital and interests … and should Jews attempt to legally make demands on their loans, the courts are to rule against their claims … And any legal aid/argument Jews may bring forth to insist on their right is revoked and made void by the power of this letter of the Roman Emperor…].”
Des Reichs-Stättischen Hand-Buchs. Zweyter Theil. (Hand-book of the Imperial Cities. Second part.); (Tübingen; 1733); Researched and Translated by Ziba Shadjaani 5/9/2020