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Portuguese Edict Expelling Jews

Type Event Region Europe Time 1496–1497

In December 1496, Manuel I ordered Jews to convert or leave; in 1497 mass forced baptisms dissolved the communities, ending medieval Portuguese Jewry…

Timeline

  1. 1496Lisbon · PortugalTo meet the conditions of his marriage to a Spanish princess, Manuel I issued an edict in Lisbon requiring Jews in Portugal to convert or leave within a set deadline, with confiscation of the property of those who did not depart.
  2. 1497Portugal · PortugalAs the departure deadline approached, the crown applied pressure through measures such as taking children hostage and blockading ports; mass forced baptisms occurred in Lisbon and elsewhere, synagogues were closed, and the community structure was completely destroyed.

Sources