Schewa Kehilot

The first Jewish settlers in the area of today's Burgenland were already scattered in the 14th and 15th centuries, but Jewish life only flourished here after the family Esterházy established itself as the ruling power from the 17th century onward. Paul I, Prince Esterházy, who likely under the influence of the expulsion of Jews from Vienna and Lower Austria ordered by Emperor Leopold I in 1670/71 also expelled his Jews from the communities of Eisenstadt, Mattersdorf, and Lackenbach in 1671, began resettling Jews in his domains after the resumption of a pro-Jewish policy in 1676. From 1739 until the end of the Esterházy protectorate in 1848, the princely Jewish communities, known since then as the "Seven Communities," existed. Subsequently, a lively economic and cultural life developed in these communities. For the first time, an exhibition in the Moreausaal of the Eisenstadt Castle is dedicated to Jewish life under the Esterházy princely family as protectors. This showcases previously little-known and under-researched aspects of Jewish history in the former Esterházy dominions in what was then western Hungary. The exhibition will predominantly feature unknown historical documents and publications, plans, maps, and objects that provide multifaceted insights into the living circumstances and conditions of the protected Jews in their communities.