Cattle markets in Kleinlangheim
There was a Jewish community in Kleinlangheim until 1938/40. Its origins date back to the 18th century, but there were already Jewish people in the village in the 15th century (mentioned in 1415). Until the second half of the 18th century, the Jews living in Kleinlangheim formed a common community together 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 5 May 1791. In 1793 it was changed to allow a cattle market to be held every 14 days.
In addition to the regular cattle markets – between 1795 and 1908 Kleinlangheim was the largest cattle market in Franconia – many Jews from outside also came to the village. This led to the heyday of the Jewish community in Kleinlangheim. Many of the fathers of the house were cattle dealers and/or butchers.
The rapid growth of the markets was due not only to their favourable transport situation, but even more so to favourable market conditions. Thus, customs duties were levied only on cattle that were actually sold, and the body duty for the merchant Jews was also waived, provided that they had only come to visit the market.
Excerpt from a protocol in the early years:
Actum Mt. Kleinlanckheim the 21st of March 1798. Meyer Moses sells a red cow marked with a narrow blaze to the local councillor, citizen and basin master Joh. Hch. Gutjahr before 6 Carolins, in such a way that 4 Carolins in this time of 14 days, the remaining 2 Car. but in 6 weeks are to be paid in baar, where next sellers for such cows will be able to pay the country's custom. guarantees, in Krafft's signatures on the part of the owner. Actum ut supra.
Until the end of the 19th century, many people could not write and among the protocols there is a large number signed with 3 crosses. On the other hand, many of the merchant Jews did not know the German script and signed Hebrew. Nevertheless, the protocols were sufficient and were accepted in subsequent warranty disputes.
The cattle in Kleinlangheim were mostly traded to Carolin. There was big and small Carolin. A small Carolin was worth about 13, a large one 18 gold market.
The benefit for the municipal administration from the protocol fees and later from the demurrage fee was not great, as considerable expenses arose from the markets. A log house had to be built, a cattle trough was required, the large market place had to be planked, epidemic pits through which every piece of cattle had to be driven on arrival were necessary.
The "little people" were better off. Through cattle herding and accommodation, the businessmen through the large flow of visitors, many inhabitants, mainly the numerous Jews, earned a nice money by cuddling livestock.
In 1891, Kleinlangheim celebrated the centenary of its markets in a big way. On a certificate from the Kleinlangheim town hall, the Jewish cattle dealers Wolf and Feist Sondhelm were honored as members of the festival committee. The imminent construction of the Kitzingen-Gerolzhofen railway line and the construction of a railway station with a large loading ramp provided good conditions for a positive further development of the cattle markets.
But then exactly the opposite happened. The development of transport and means of transport, the relocation of transport centres, other breeds of cattle with different advantages, the mechanisation 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 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the cattle market.
Monika Conrad
Sources and literature
Fritz Grosch, Im Bannkreis des Schwanbergs 1959, pp. 70-73
Monika Conrad, JB f. d. LKR Kitzingen. Im Bannkreis des Schwanbergs 2021, pp. 147-160
