For the purpose of this paper, we have set out to answer some key questions of the
debate, mainly relating to the timing and cause of the arrival of the Jews in individual smaller
urban locations. We have selected smaller cities where the Jewish presence is recorded in the
documents as prime examples. We have to note that the role of the sovereigns, especially the
Habsburgs, has proved to be crucial in encouraging and supporting the Jews in their decision
to settle in a particular place. This is probably most evident in the different histories of the two
border towns of Ormož and Brežice, both of which are owned by the Archbishop of Salzburg.
Both towns are therefore owned by the Archbishop of Salzburg, but while Ormož was largely
owned by the Ptuj family and their close ties with Salzburg were largely shaken due to their
support on Styrian Dukes, the subjugation of the Salzburg rule in Brežice remained very
pronounced. This is also shown by the fact that Ormož (though relatively short-lived) experienced the formation of the Jewish community of Ormož, while there is nothing comparable
in Brežice. However, the commitment of Styrian Dukes seems to be best in the case of the
(Slovenian) Bistrica, where it is clear that their interest that has not only made the arrival
of Jews in the town possible, but also largely regulated their activities.
The case of Slovenj Gradec also points to a similar pattern. Here, too, the influence of the
landed gentry is decisive for the arrival of the Jews in the city, but in this case it is indirectly
expressed through the actions of the Aufensteiner landed gentry, which was undoubtedly
entirely in the spirit of their master, the Duke of Carinthia. From the overall picture, the example of Dravograd stands out most, where we are dealing with a rather unusual moment
when the Jews from Styria (at least as the fact that they are subject to the judge for the Jews
of Graz) settle down in one place. Especially the example of Dravograd shows how small
the amount of data is, because neither the time of arrival and thus the longevity of the data
is clear, nor the connection of Dravograd Jews with potential communities from Carinthia
or Styria. The fate of Jew David from Dravograd in Vienna only shows that the connection
with Dravograd was very tight and had to go beyond a purely short-term stay.
In any case, it can be concluded that it was not only the role of Provincial Lords that largely controlled the presence or absence of Jews in individual places, but that the role of the
Habsburgs (and Tyroleans as Dukes of Carinthia) as Styrian sovereigns is also particularly
exposed. Different approaches to the (non-)presence of Jews can be seen in the comparison
of the Salzburg town of Brežic, where Jews are freely sought, and the Salzburg town of Ormož,
where they were freely sought in the 14th century. The emphasis on the Habsburgs is also
brought to our attention by the analysis of the material of the town Slovenska Bistrica In any
case, this analysis must be added for further answers in a similar way for the Kranjska region
and for the Goriška and Istra regions.
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