Ancien cimetière juif

English translation

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History

Decrees promulgated in Portugal in 1496 led the Jews, troubled by the Inquisition in the 16th and 17th centuries, to convert to Catholicism and emigrate beyond the Iberian peninsula. La Bastide-Clairence thus saw the establishment of an Israelite community which was in contact with that of Amsterdam. The cemetery of La Bastide-Clairence was the first acquired by Portuguese Jews in the region, and perhaps in France (the first grave dates from 1620). It was initially a cemetery for Marranos (Jews converted in appearance, but who continued to practise their religion in secret). Subsequently, it became a Jewish cemetery from 1659 onwards (Israelite names engraved on tombstones, dates in Jewish computation). Thanks to the protection of the Dukes of Gramont, who held the right of justice, the Jewish community was able to display itself freely. From the 18th century, the importance of the community diminished due to the decline of La Bastide. Taking advantage of new freedoms obtained during the Revolution, the Jews left the small town whose commerce was dying out (the last grave dates from 1785). Left gradually abandoned, the cemetery was desecrated by the Germans in 1941.