Jews have a long history in the country now known as
Hungary, with some records even predating the 895 AD
Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin by over 600 years. An early example of punitive measures began during the reign of King
Ladislaus IV of Hungary (1272–1290), when it was decreed that every Jew should wear a piece of red cloth. During the time of the
Black Death (1349), Jews were expelled from the country. King
Ladislaus II (1490–1516) burned Jews at the stake, many being executed at
Nagyszombat (
Trnava) in 1494, on suspicion of
ritual murder. As the lord of Bösing (
Pezinok) was in debt to the Jews, a
blood accusation was brought against these creditors in 1529. A law promulgated by the
Imperial Diet of 1645 stated that Jews were excluded from the privileges of the country, that they were unbelievers, and had no conscience. When imperial troops recaptured
Buda in 1686, most Jewish residents were massacred. Their fate was not improved under the reign of Leopold's son,
Charles III (1711–1740). During the reign of Queen
Maria Theresa (1740–1780), the Jews were expelled from
Buda (1746).
Joseph II (1780–1790) wiped out the decrees that had oppressed the Jews for centuries. The emancipation of the Jews was granted by the national assembly in 1849.