1298: In Rotttingen, a small German town in Franconia, a knight named Rindfleish burned jews at the stake.
Usury was in high practice at this time, as the Catholic church soon began to restrict it's practice throughout Europe, and this also followed several ritual murders, including Mainz (1281, 1283), Munich (1285), Oberwesel (1287).
The last straw this time, was a 'desecration of the Host', which was a theft and public destruction of the Lord's Supper elements, in effect mocking the Risen Lord.
Rindfleisch subsequently went from town to town, followed by an entourage, exhorting the burghers to annihilate the jews.
A wave of destruction swept through Franconia, Swabia, Hesse, Thuringia, and Heilbronn (1298) and again in Gotha (1303), Renchen (1301) and Weissensee (1303).
In total, 146 jewish locales were destroyed.
