Det jødiske samfund i Danmark
Item
Country
DK
Name of institution (English)
The National Archives of Denmark
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
dan
Contact information: postal address
Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, 1221 Copenhagen
Contact information: phone number
0045 33 92 33 10
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
mailbox@sa.dk
Reference number
10411, 10748
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (English)
The Jewish community in Denmark
Title (official language of the state)
Det jødiske samfund i Danmark
Language of title
dan
Creator / accumulator
The Portuguese Jewish community of Copenhagen and others
Date(s)
1584/2014
Language(s)
dan
heb
Extent
89 archival series
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This collection comprises documents belonging to diverse Jewish organisations in Denmark from the beginning of the Jewish presence in the 17th century to the present.
The collection is organised in 89 series and contains a few materials specifically related to the Portuguese Jewish community in Copenhagen, namely the Probate Protocols of the Portuguese Jewish Congregation (1782-1800) and the Probate Cases: The Portuguese Nation (1805-15).
The collection is organised in 89 series and contains a few materials specifically related to the Portuguese Jewish community in Copenhagen, namely the Probate Protocols of the Portuguese Jewish Congregation (1782-1800) and the Probate Cases: The Portuguese Nation (1805-15).
Archival history
The materials that compose this collection were delivered by diverse owners to the Rigsarkivet at different times: by the Mosaic Faith Community in 1983-2000, by the Landsarkivet for Sjælland (National Archives of Zealand) in 1986, by archivist Bent Blüdnikow in 1997; and by Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner in 2002.
Administrative / Biographical history
The origins of the Jewish presence in Denmark date back to the reign of Christian IV (1588-1648) when a few families of Portuguese Jews settled in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Then, the king granted trading privileges and warranted freedom from religious persecution to Sephardic Jews, with the expectation of dynamizing trade and promoting economic development. Some of these early settlers became "Court Jews" by establishing close connections with the royal court in Copenhagen.
The privileges originally granted to Sephardic Jews were later extended to all Jews coming from Altona and Glückstadt. In the last decades of the 17th century, the Jewish migration to Denmark increased, particularly of Ashkenazi Jews. Eleven Jewish families resided in Copenhagen in 1682, of which only three were Sephardi.
In 1684, permission was given to the Ashkenazi Jews to hold synagogue services in private homes, while the Sephardim had to wait 11 years to attain the same privilege. Thus, 1684 marks the beginning of the first Danish Jewish community, the Mosaisk Troessamfund. In 1687, Abraham Salomon from Moravia was appointed the first rabbi, and a cemetery was founded in Mollegade in 1694. The Sephardim remained a minority and it was only in 1715 that they established an organised community and a separate cemetery.
Over the 18th century, the Jewish minority lost part of its influence in the Danish court. Restrictions continued to condition Jews' daily life and economic activities. In 1795, a fire destroyed the Jewish synagogue, and a new one was only built in 1833 in Krystalgade. Meanwhile, a royal decree in 1814 gave full rights to Jews born in Denmark.
The privileges originally granted to Sephardic Jews were later extended to all Jews coming from Altona and Glückstadt. In the last decades of the 17th century, the Jewish migration to Denmark increased, particularly of Ashkenazi Jews. Eleven Jewish families resided in Copenhagen in 1682, of which only three were Sephardi.
In 1684, permission was given to the Ashkenazi Jews to hold synagogue services in private homes, while the Sephardim had to wait 11 years to attain the same privilege. Thus, 1684 marks the beginning of the first Danish Jewish community, the Mosaisk Troessamfund. In 1687, Abraham Salomon from Moravia was appointed the first rabbi, and a cemetery was founded in Mollegade in 1694. The Sephardim remained a minority and it was only in 1715 that they established an organised community and a separate cemetery.
Over the 18th century, the Jewish minority lost part of its influence in the Danish court. Restrictions continued to condition Jews' daily life and economic activities. In 1795, a fire destroyed the Jewish synagogue, and a new one was only built in 1833 in Krystalgade. Meanwhile, a royal decree in 1814 gave full rights to Jews born in Denmark.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
The collection is divided into 89 series according to provenance and creator.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2023
Linked resources
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| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Rigsarkivet | Collections (official language of the state) |