Socio-economic Development of the Jewish Community of Zemun in the 18th Century

Abstract

On the trade route between the Christian West and the Muslim East, Zemun was located halfway between Vienna and Constantinople. Individuals who belonged to the Jewish community of Zemun wisely considered the geostrategic position of the place where they lived and worked, thus using the location of the city of Zemun to develop their economic activities. The Jewish community of Zemun from 1739 to the end of the 18th century, regardless of the restrictions and ghettoization imposed on it by the state, and the discordant relations with its Christian neighbors, managed to organize itself and strengthen and consolidate its socio-economic position. Although at first glance homogeneous, the Jewish community does not have harmonious relations within its organization, but, in relation to the external Christian environment, it appears cohesive. The progress of the Jewish community in Zemun, then the most important trading city of the Christian Habsburg Empire, was achieved by the Jewish community thanks to a wisely conducted economic policy.