Ritualno ubistvo. Prilog istoriji interetničkih odnosa u bačkom Potisju

Abstract

Rad obrađuje istoriju međuetničkih i međureligijskih odnosa u Bačkom Potisju (deo Vojvodine), tj. odnos stanovnika hrišćanske i jevrejske veroispovesti sa posebnim naglaskom na nedokazane teorije o ritualnim ubistvima hrišćana od strane Jevreja.

This paper presents a phenomenon of a belief regarding the Jews, which persisted for centuries, specifically ritual murder. The historical and geographical framework is what once used to be the privileged Potisje crown district, a region completely destroyed due to the Ottoman Empire and the wars between the Austrian and the Ottoman Empire, and settled again during the XVIII century. Research indicates that the villages within this District, thanks to the privileges that it enjoyed, had an interesting social-economic development and this is the context in which we should perceive the occurrence of certain prejudices regarding the Jews, including the one related to ritual murders Specific cases that occurred in Senta and in Bačko Petrovo Selo, are described, probably characteristic of the whole region, with the only difference that in these settlements it was predominantly Orthodox Jews. Although these instances had a "happy ending" they still illustrate how a prejudice, dating in distant past, may re-occur or abused by irresponsible politicians and demagogues, or how it can result in putting a mark on a whole population group, in this case, the Jews, who will be blamed for all the social and political difficulties and wrong political choices.