May 18, 1775

“Governmental Communiqué” addressed to the Jewish Elders of Prague [Present-day Czech Republic]: “[…] it has come to [our] disapproving attention, that some young Jewish boys who do not have a beard […] wear a small yellow patch that is attached instead of the yellow cuff that is sewn on […] no less, the young married Jews shear and crop their beards in such a manner that only a small patch remained under their chins, or in the area around their chin and the cheeks where the beard is so thin that it cannot be noticed right away. And the same [Jews] are wearing their clothes in various colors like the Christians and the Jewish boys rove around in the pubs and cafés (‘Schank- und Kaffeehäusern’) and engaged in all sorts of debauchery, and are indistinguishable in their clothing in any way. […] married Jews must grow their beard to be at least half an inch long (‘wenigstens einen halben Zoll’). […]” [Researcher’s note: It was required that this order be publicly announced in all synagogues and all public alleys/streets which was indeed done on June 5, 1775.]

Gesellschaft für Geschichte der Juden in the Cechoslov. Republik; I Jahrgang. Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. Samuel Steinherz; (Prag; 1929); (Society for History of the Jews in the Czech Republic; Year’s Issue 1929; Published by Prof. Dr. Samuel Steinherz); (Prague; 1929); Researched and Translated by Ziba Shadjaani 8/17/2017