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Brief History of the Jewish Community of Trieste
By Vanessa Tonnini

The oldest surviving documentary evidence of the existence of a Jewish settlement in Trieste is a notarised deed of 1236, but not until 1746 did the Jews of Trieste, who had been present in the city for about eight centuries, set up an official community, with its own statute and schools. It was during those centuries that the Jewish population of Trieste and the surrounding area began to swell, thanks to fresh arrivals and the strengthening of their professions.

Following the fall of the Patriarch of Aquileia, domination by the Republic of Venice in the 15th century had no negative consequences for the Jewish inhabitants of the area. On the contrary, the Venetians' relative tolerance encouraged the arrival of new families escaping persecution in other parts of Europe. At that time the small but active Ashkenazi colony lived in the quarter of Riborgo, the commercial heart of the city, and were predominantly moneylenders, a profession denied to Christians. Their skill in financial management soon led to Jews becoming the city administration's bankers, as several documents of the period show. Incorporation into the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 16th century proved no obstacle to the colony's socio-economic ambitions, even though the first restraints were applied at this time, with the obligation for Jews to wear badges. However, their high standing in various professions enabled a restricted number to enjoy certain privileges, such as permission to travel armed and without badges and to move freely around the Empire. This is a clear indication of the awareness of the role this small community was fulfilling in the city. Towards the end of the 17th century, a period of upheaval and religious turbulence around much of Europe, the Jewish community of Trieste kept a low profile and was enclosed by imperial decree in the Portizza ghetto, in the Riborgo quarter.

It was only from the start of the 18th century that the community as a whole saw its fortunes flourish. Trieste became central to Austro-Hungarian trade policy and the port underwent rapid modernisation and enlargement. Charles VIıs decision to grant the city the status of Free Port (1719) raised Trieste, which had become the Empire's major port, to the highest rank as a trading and financial centre. Alert and intelligent, the Jews of Trieste were quick to take advantage of the new opportunities during the 18th and 19th centuries, filling some of the most important posts in the financial and business worlds. So it was that in 1746 the Jewish community of Trieste was formally founded and the school established, which was the first synagogue and where the German language was used.

The policy of enlightened absolutism characterizing Empress Maria Theresa's dealings with the Jews of Trieste was the result of a clear understanding of the important role this minority played in the cityıs development and was in stark contrast to her treatment of Jewish communities in other parts of the Empire. This relaxed climate reached its climax in 1781, when the Emperor Joseph II issued the "Licence of Toleration", which abolished all badges, allowed Jewish children access to all public schools, up to university, permitted the sale and purchase of houses and opened all professions to the Jews. The second edict of 1785 then opened all the ghettos of the Empire.

The socio-economic rise of the Jews of Trieste, which lent such a crucial momentum to both the economic and cultural life of the city, was to stall in later years. The identity crisis which crippled other Jewish communities also affected the Hebrew component of Trieste, as the social and political position which had been reached entailed a rapid assimilation and a consequent loosening of ties with Orthodox Judaism. Nonetheless, sufficient confidence was found in 1912 to inaugurate the monumental new synagogue in via Donizetti, which replaced the four small previous synagogues.

The downturn in the importance of Trieste after the First World War was matched by the economic decline of the Jewish community, culminating in the horrors of the Race Laws and persecutions. Indeed, it was no accident that Mussolini chose Trieste, the home of one of the most enterprising, cultured and cosmopolitan bourgeoisies in Italy, as the venue for his speech on Italian racial policy. As hatred swept across Europe, Trieste welcomed refugees from Germany and Austria and the so-called "Sionıs Gateway" saw large numbers of Jews embark for Israel and South America. But on 8 September 1943 the city was gripped by terror at the news of Friuli-Venezia Giulia's annexation to the Third Reich, as Adriatisches Küstenland. Round-ups and persecutions began and the Risiera di San Sabba, an ex-rice mill, was pressed into service as a concentration and transit camp. It has since been converted into a national monument in memory of the only extermination camp in Italy. After the war, only 1500 of the 2500 Jews living in Trieste before the start of the persecutions returned to the city. Today, the Jewish community numbers over 600 and its members continue to play an active part in the economic and cultural life of the city.