Divrei Negidim
Historic Protocol on Freedom for Jews in Holland Under French Occupation
Amsterdam, 1799
In 1795, a revolution took place in the Dutch Republic during which opponents of the ruling government, backed by the French army, took control. In its place, the Batavian Republic was established, effectively functioning as a protectorate state of France.
Following the revolution, equal laws of liberty were enacted among all segments of the population, establishing a separation between public governance and private religion ("to distinguish the state’s laws from religion").
At the time, the Jewish population of the Republic, numbering several tens of thousands, feared that the separation of religion and state might undermine the rights of the Jewish community. They also noticed that some of the newly granted rights had not been extended to Jews. As a result, they appealed to non-Jewish public representatives, who convened in The Hague for a series of discussions on the matter.
Ultimately, a decision was ruled in favor of the Jewish community, and an official document was issued affirming their rights: "A legal ruling on the principle of equality for Jews, like all other residents." (Leaf 62b)
The present historical work contains a transcription of the public representatives’ discussions during the sessions, the above-mentioned ruling, and the laws of the Republic ("The Nation’s Statutes"). It is prefaced by a brief historical background on the revolution.
On the last page appears the signature, in foreign script, of the translator and publisher, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Marcus of Ilfeld, with a handwritten correction on leaf 71a.
A few years later, in 1806, the Batavian Republic was dissolved and in its place, the Napoleonic Kingdom of Holland was established. However, many of the equality laws remained in force.
A rare and highly significant work in the history of Dutch Jewry.
Amsterdam, 1799. First and singular edition.
Page count: 72 leaves.
Size: 21 cm.
Condition: Good, minor corner folds and tiny tears on a few pages. New cloth binding.
Provenance: William Gross Collection, Tel Aviv.
