The Erfurt Treasure
Station 10
An extensive treasure find was discovered in 1998 during an excavation in the courtyard of the property Michaelisstraße 43. Silver tableware, pieces of jewellery, silver coins and silver ingots from the late 13th century and the first half of the 14th century had been buried under the wall of a cellar entrance. The location of the discovery in the heart of the former Jewish quarter and parts of the treasure inventory, in particular a Jewish wedding ring, indicate a Jewish family as the former owners.
Based on the dating of the inventory of the treasure, the concealment can be associated with the pogrom of 21 March 1349. The Jewish quarter was attacked under the pretext that Jews had poisoned the fountains. During the brutal riots, the quarter surrounding the synagogue was burned down and the entire Jewish community was killed, which with around 300 members and notable scholars was one of the most important of its time.
As the last verifiable owner of the property before the pogrom, the Jewish money trader Kalman of Wiehe is considered to be the former owner of the treasure. It has been verified that he did not survive the pogrom of 1349. Today, the Erfurt Treasure can be viewed in the Old Synagogue Museum.
