Judentum und Christentum im Westgotenreich von Toledo. Ein Zusammenleben zwischen Konfrontation

Research paper from 2021 in the field of European history - Middle Ages, Early Modern Period, grade: 1.7, Free University of Berlin, language: German. Abstract: This paper examines the coexistence of Jews and Christians in the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo, aiming to propose an alternative approach to historical sources. However, it explicitly does not question the overall anti-Jewish stance but rather aims to elaborate on the complexity of the relationships between Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity by critically discussing the perspective of confrontation, which appears too narrow and one-sided. The relationships between Jews and Christians have traditionally been described, especially in historical scholarship, as a narrative of Christian hostility towards Jews, characterized as anti-Judaism or antisemitism. Yet, if the coexistence between Jews and Christians was solely based on a relationship marked by enmity and confrontation, how should historians deal with sources that initially seem to provide evidence of hostility between Jews and Christians but simultaneously and implicitly suggest at least a temporary peaceful coexistence of the two groups? What conclusions can be drawn from situations where Christians ignored Jews and Jews paid little attention to Christians, despite living side by side? What associations arise when anti-Jewish laws need to be repeatedly supplemented, confirmed, and issued over decades?.