Jan. 21, 1779

Edict issued by the Mayor and Council of the City of Frankfurt am Main [Present-day Germany]: “3) – Apprentices of merchants and tradesmen, butlers and footmen, as well as Jews under Letters of Protection, are completely prohibited from engaging in any games of chance, even if there is an element of skill involved, whether these are card, dice, or similar games, such that, whoever provides these individuals with cards or dice for gaming, shall be subject to a mandatory fine of fifty thalers for each occurrence; however, the players themselves — apprentices of merchants and tradesmen, butlers and footmen – shall have to pay a meaningful fine, but Jews are to be subjected to a fine of 100 thalers in addition to both corporal punishment and imprisonment.”
“Wir Burgermeistere und Rath dieser des Heiligen Reichs Stadt Frankfurt am Mayn… [We, the Mayor and Council of this City of the Holy Empire, Frankfurt am Mayn…],” 1/21/1779; Decrees Collection; AR 379; Box 1; Folder 28; Leo Baeck Institute. Researched by Dominik Jacobs 12/2/2019