Vivelin of Strasbourg

Vivelin of Strasbourg[note 1] (d. after 1347) was an Alsatian Jewish financier in the 14th century, presumably one of the richest persons within the Holy Roman Empire in that time.[1] He lived in Strasbourg and primarily dealt with the Archbishop of Trier, Baldwin of Luxembourg, but also with the King of England, Edward III, as he led a consortium that lent 140,000 florins to Edward III on the eve of the Hundred Years' War, in 1339.[2]

He is not found in documents after 1347, and might have died during the Strasbourg pogrom of 1349, which saw almost 2,000 people being burned alive at the stake.[3]

Notes

1. He was also known as “Vivelin Rufus” (Latin), “Vivian le Rous” (French), or “Vivelin der Rote” (German), which all means “Vivelin the Red”.

References

1. Mentgen, Gerd (2005). "Die Strassburger Juden Vivelin der Rote und Simon von Deneuvre: Bankiers europäischer Fürsten im 14. Jahrhundert". In Irsigler, Franz; Minn, Gisela (eds.). Porträt einer europäischen Kernregion: Der Rhein-Mass-Raum in historischen Lebensbildern (in German). Trier: Kliomedia. pp. 131–137. ISBN 3-89890-087-8.
2. London, The National Archives, Public Record Office, C 67/17, m 3.
3. Codex Judaica: Chronological Index of Jewish History, Covering 5,764 Years of Biblical, Talmudic & Post-Talmudic History, p. 203, at Google Books

Further reading

• Mentgen, Gerd (1996). "Herausragende jüdische Finanziers im mittelalterlichen Straßburg". In Burgard, Friedhelm (ed.). Hochfinanz im Westen des Reiches, 1150–1500 (in German). Trier: Trierer Historische Forschungen. pp. 75–100. ISBN 3-923087-30-6.