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Rhineland massacres[edit]

He did so, and in the first half of 1096 he gathered an army, which arrived at Speyer in May. Emicho, or his followers in separate groups, also went to Worms, Mainz, Cologne, Trier, and Metz, where they forcibly converted the Jewish communities, and massacred those who resisted. Eight hundred Jews were murdered at Worms and another seven hundred at Mainz (where, according to Albert of Aachen in his 12th century chronicle of the Crusades, around two hundred escaped this horde's knives and swords by slaying members of their family and themselves). The mob massacred communities in other cities as well.[2]


In some communities, mothers were said to have killed their own children to avoid conversion. The Christian bishops of the cities often attempted to protect their Jewish subjects but, except at Speyer, they did not succeed. In Mainz, Emicho was resisted by Archbishop Ruthard of Mainz and Jews were given shelter in the archbishop's personal residence.[4][5] Nevertheless, Emicho eventually attacked the episcopal palace and massacred Jews sheltering there.[4][6]

Emicho's army attracted many unusual followers, including a group who worshipped a goose they believed to be filled with the Holy Spirit.[7] The army continued down the Rhine until they reached the Danube, which they followed to Hungary. Here, after having run out of money and food, they began to pillage. Much of the army was killed by the Hungarians; the rest split up to join the other Crusader armies, and Emicho went back home to his family, where he was scorned for not fulfilling his vow to capture Jerusalem.




  1. ^ Chronicler Albert of Aachen.
  4. ^ a b Weidenkopf, Steve (2014). The Glory of the Crusades. El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers Press. pp. 54–56. ISBN 978-1-941663-00-4. 
  5. ^ Terrible Outbreak of Antisemitism
  6. ^ JewishEncyclopedia.com - CRUSADES, THE:

See also[edit]