A Jewish community existed in Kleinlangheim until 1938/40. Its origins date back to the 18th century, but there were already Jewish people in the town in the 15th century (mentioned in 1415). Until the second half of the 18th century, the Jews living in Kleinlangheim formed a joint community with those in Großlangheim.
It was the last Margrave of Ansbach-Brandenburg, Alexander, who, at the request of the Kleinlangheim community fathers, granted the village the right to hold 8 cattle markets a year on May 5, 1791. In 1793, it was amended to the effect that a cattle market could be held every 14 days.
Many Jews from outside the town also came to the regular cattle markets - between 1795 and 1908 Kleinlangheim was the largest cattle market in Franconia. This led to the Jewish community in Kleinlangheim flourishing. Many fathers were cattle dealers and/or butchers.
The rapid flourishing of the markets was not only due to their convenient location, but even more to the favorable market conditions. Customs duty was only levied on livestock that was actually sold, and merchant Jews did not have to pay customs duty if they had only come to visit the market.
Excerpt from a protocol in the early years:
Actum Mt. Kleinlanckheim den 21. Martii 1798. Verkaufft Meyer Moses hiesig Kgl. preuß. Schutzjud sold a red cow with a narrow blaze to the local councillor, citizen and basin master Joh. Hch. Gutjahr for 6 Carolins, in such a way that 4 Carolins are to be paid in cash within 14 days, but the remaining 2 Car. in 6 weeks, where hereafter seller for such cows the landesübbl. The seller shall provide a guarantee for such cows, with the signatures of both parties. Actum ut supra.
Until the end of the 19th century, many people were still unable to write and a large number of the minutes are signed with 3 crosses. On the other hand, many of the merchant Jews did not know the German script and signed in Hebrew. Nevertheless, the protocols were sufficient and were recognized in later warranty disputes.
Livestock in Kleinlangheim was mostly traded by carolin. There were large and small Carolin. A small carolin was worth around 13 gold market, a large one 18.
The benefit for the municipal administration from the recording fees and later from the stall money was not great, as considerable expenses arose from the markets. A recording house had to be built, a cattle trough was required, the large marketplace had to be planned, and disease pits, through which every piece of cattle had to be driven on arrival, were necessary.
The "little people" were better off. By driving cattle and providing accommodation, the shopkeepers earned money from the large stream of visitors, and many inhabitants, mainly the numerous Jews, earned good money from cattle-driving.
In 1891 Kleinlangheim celebrated the centenary of its markets in style. The Jewish cattle dealers Wolf and Feist Sondhelm were honored as members of the festival committee on a certificate from the Kleinlangheim town hall. The imminent construction of the Kitzingen-Gerolzhofen railroad line and the establishment of a railroad station with a large loading ramp provided good conditions for the positive development of the cattle markets.
However, the exact opposite happened. The further development of transport and means of transport, the relocation of transport centers, other livestock breeds with other advantages, the mechanization of agriculture - all this contributed to the fact that twenty years after the great festival, activities at the cattle markets in Keinlangheim came to a standstill.
What remains is the chestnut avenue along Bahnhofstrasse, which was planted to mark the 100th anniversary of the cattle market.