In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity. Frederick II, by the favor of divine mercy, ever-august emperor of the Romans, king of Jerusalem and Sicily.

Although the preeminence of imperial dignity is bound to extend the arm of its protection to all who are subject to the Roman Empire, and although it is fitting that it favor the Christian faithful with special grace, the rule of justice nevertheless requires that unbelievers also be governed with care and protected justly, as a people specially entrusted to us. Thus, while dwelling with the faithful under the protection of our high authority, they shall not be violently oppressed by those more powerful than themselves.

Therefore, let the present age and future generations know through this document that all the servants of our chamber in Germany petitioned our highness to confirm for all the Jews of Germany the privilege that our late grandfather, the Emperor Frederick, granted to the Jews of Worms and their associates.

The text of that privilege is as follows:

[The proclamation here reproduces Frederick I’s privilege for the Jews of Worms, issued in 1157.]

Therefore, providing for the security and peaceful condition of the Jews of Germany, we have decided to grant this special favor to all Jews who belong directly to our chamber. Following the statutes of our aforesaid grandfather, we confirm by our clemency the privilege written above and everything contained in it, just as our grandfather freely granted it to the Jews of Worms and their associates.

We further wish everyone, present and future, to know that a serious charge concerning the death of certain boys of Fulda was brought against the Jews then living in that city. Because of this tragic misfortune, grave suspicion arose among the neighboring population against all the other Jews of Germany, even though no evidence of a secret crime was apparent.

To establish the truth concerning this charge, we summoned many princes, magnates and nobles of the empire, together with abbots and religious men from many places, to advise us. Since they expressed differing opinions and couldn’t provide sufficiently certain advice, we determined that there was no better way to investigate the Jews accused of this crime than through persons who had formerly been Jews and had converted to the Christian faith. Since they were now opposed to Judaism, they wouldn’t conceal anything they might know against the Jews from the books of Moses or the writings of the Old Testament.

Although the authority of many books known to our majesty had already reasonably convinced our conscience of the innocence of the aforesaid Jews, we nevertheless wished to satisfy both the common people and the requirements of justice. With the sound advice and unanimous agreement of our princes, magnates, nobles, abbots and religious men, we sent special messengers to the kings of the western lands. Through them, we had many converts experienced in Jewish law sent from those kingdoms to our presence.

After they had remained at our court for a considerable time, we ordered them to investigate the matter carefully. They were to inform our conscience whether the Jews possessed any belief concerning human blood that might lead them to commit such a crime.

When their conclusions were made public, it was established that neither the Old Testament nor the New states that Jews desire to drink human blood. On the contrary, they avoid every consumption of blood. This is expressly stated in the biblical book called Bereshit in Hebrew, in the commandments given through Moses and in the Jewish decrees called the Talmud.

We also have strong reason to conclude that those who are forbidden to consume even the blood of permitted animals can’t possess a desire for human blood. Such an act is opposed by its horror, by the prohibition of nature and by the common bond of the human species that Jews share with Christians. Nor would they expose their property and their persons to danger for something they could obtain freely from animals.

Therefore, by the judgment of the princes, we declare the Jews of the aforesaid place entirely absolved of the crime charged against them, and the other Jews of Germany entirely absolved of so grave an accusation.

Consequently, by the authority of the present privilege, we decree and generally forbid any person, whether clerical or secular, high or low, under the pretext of preaching or on any other occasion, whether officials, advocates, citizens or others, to attack the aforesaid Jews individually or collectively because of this accusation, or to bring any damaging or burdensome charge against them concerning it.

Let everyone know that, since a lord is honored through his servants, those who show themselves favorable and benevolent toward our servants, the Jews, may be assured that they thereby show respect toward us. Those who presume to act against this confirmation and our judgment of absolution shall incur the displeasure of our high authority.

So that this confirmation and absolution may remain forever in unshaken force, we have ordered the present privilege to be drawn up and marked with the golden bull bearing the imprint of our majesty.

Done in the year of the Lord 1236, in the month of July. Given at Augsburg.