In the medieval period, the owner or ruler of a territory had the right to decide who could or could not settle on his territory. The conditions of settlement would be decided by negotiations, and sealed with a formal charter laying out the terms of settlement. (That’s what this document is.) But the ruler also had the authority to decide who could or could not engage in a given economic activity. The right of Jewish merchants to trade in a city would usually be
paid for by the Jews, in the form of both a lump sum for the permission, and the payment of heavy taxes. (There was undoubtedly some form of taxation in this case too, though it is not mentioned.)
Bishop Rudiger grants these Jewish merchants the right to trade in anything they liked. As we will see, such a situation was inconceivable a few centuries later, when Jewish economic activity would be heavily restricted.
Question: Why is Bishop Rudiger so liberal in opening up all activity to the Jews? Hint: Why was there apparently no protest from those who would have had reason to fear competition from Jewish merchants?
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