University of Marburg
Die Juden im politischen System des Alten Reichs. Jüdische Politik und ihre Organisation im 16. Jahrhundert
My dissertation examined Jewish political activity in the sixteenth-century Holy Roman Empire. Focusing on forms of organization, long-term strategies, political maneuvering, and interactions between German Jewry and local, territorial, and imperial authorities, analyzed the efforts of Jewish leaders to influence legislation at both the territorial and imperial levels and to prevent or mitigate persecution and expulsions. The study highlights the resourcefulness of Jewish communities under difficult conditions, their familiarity with the political structures and culture of the empire, and their ability to use this knowledge to improve the legal conditions of Jewish life within the empire.