Published : 2015-12-31

Accusation of ritual murder in Skórcz in 1884 in press

Mateusz Pielka



Abstract

In the late 19th century, Germany became a scene of anti-Semitic violence spawned by the accusation of ritual murder. In 1880s, a young boy Onufry Cybula was murdered in the eastern province of the German Reich, more specifically in Skórcz located in West Prussia. Christians, influenced by the faith in ritual murder, accused Jews. They put the blame for killing the child on the Jewish butcher, Josephson. However, the investigation which started in 1884 did not prove him guilty of this crime. The investigators ascertained that the murder could have been committed by the Christian called Behrent. In the meanwhile, in Skórcz and other surrounding villages the Jews became subjected to violent attacks. The aggressors smashed the windows in Jewish shops and houses, vandalized taverns, ravaged a synagogue, etc. Finally, the local authorities called upon an army to use force in order to put down the riots and help restore order. In 1885, the court hearing in Gdańsk did not solve the case of Cybula’s death. All defendants were acquitted and exculpated and this issue has still not been explained.

Keywords:

anti-Semitism, ritual murder, 19th century, Onufry Cybula, riots



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Pielka , M. (2015). Accusation of ritual murder in Skórcz in 1884 in press. Jewish Studies. Almanac, 5(5), 43–53. https://doi.org/10.56583/sz.484

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fax 84 638 35 00
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