Strasbourg massacre: Several thousand Jews are burned to death by mobs while the remaining Jews are forcibly removed from Strasbourg after being accused of causing the Black Death.

The Strasbourg massacre of 1349 was one of the most brutal episodes of anti-Jewish violence in medieval Europe, unfolding during the height of the Black Death. As plague swept across the continent, fear and uncertainty drove communities to search for scapegoats, and Jewish populations were frequently accused of poisoning wells or spreading disease. In Strasbourg, despite the absence of plague cases at the time, rumors and conspiratorial thinking took hold, fueled by long-standing antisemitism and social tensions.

Initially, Strasbourg’s city council attempted to protect its Jewish residents, recognizing both the lack of evidence behind the accusations and the economic importance of the Jewish community. However, pressure from guilds and popular mobs escalated, leading to a political coup within the city government. On February 14, 1349, the new authorities sanctioned mass violence. Nearly 2,000 Jews were arrested, stripped of legal protection, and many were burned alive on a wooden platform constructed outside the city walls, while others were expelled and had their property confiscated.

The massacre had lasting consequences for Strasbourg and the broader region. Jewish life in the city was effectively eradicated for generations, and similar pogroms spread across the Rhineland and Central Europe during the plague years. Beyond its immediate horror, the Strasbourg massacre illustrates how fear, misinformation, and political opportunism can converge during crises, turning vulnerable communities into targets of collective violence. It remains a stark reminder of how societal breakdown under pressure can lead to catastrophic injustice.