History of the Jews in Trieste

The history of the Jews in Trieste, Italy goes back over 800 years.

The oldest official document available mentioning a Jewish settlement in Trieste goes back to the year 1236 and it is composed of a notarial deed that mentions an economic transaction made by a certain Bishop Giovanni: he paid 500 'marche' to the Jew Daniel David, who had spent them to fight thieves on the Carso.

After Trieste sided with Austria in 1382, Jewish people from Germany, some subjects to the Austrian Dukes while others to local princes, came to live in Italy. Lacking synagogue and legal recognition, the small Ashkenazic Jewish community held services in a private home from the 15th century. From 1684 to 1785 the authorities ordered the construction of a Ghetto and the compulsory residence there. However, after the first Jewish public Synagogue was built, the Jews from Trieste felt the need to give a constitution to their Community; therefore the evening of 14 December 1746, the Chiefs called a meeting of the "particolari", that is the heads of families who contributed to the expenses of the Community.

On 19 April 1771, Maria Theresa granted two Sovereign Licenses to the Jews of Trieste, licenses that constitute real regulations. In 1782, with the famous Edict of Tolerance, Joseph II admitted the Jews to some charges in the and to other liberal professions. A year later the Jewish primary school was opened with the name of Scuole Pie Normali Israelitiche. The following year, in 1784, the gates of the Ghetto were opened so that the Jews of Trieste could live together with their fellow citizens of different religions; however most of them continued to live in the Ghetto. Indeed, after a short occupation of the French in 1797, they began to build two new Synagogues in the street of the Jewish schools, but they were demolished during the first quarter of the 20th century when the Old Town was destroyed.

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