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Feb 16, 1095
The Crusades
From 1095-1291, Christians attempted to "take back" their holy city of Jerusalem from it's Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. As they moved through Europe with a promise of forgiveness from the church, Jews were targeted. They were attacked, forced from their homes, made to convert from their faith, and even killed. Although Jews fought back to protect their homes along the sides of their Muslim neighbors, thousands of Jews were killed. -
Sep 8, 1292
Johann de Wettre
On September 8th 1292, Johann de Wettre was condemned to death by burning for committing the act of sodomy. Executed next to St. Peter's Abbey in Ghent, this was not some regular execution of the time. In fact, Johann de Wettre was the first recorded "criminal" to be executed for his homosexuality in Christian Europe. This execution set the path of homosexual persecution in the church for many years to come. -
Oct 13, 1307
The end of the Knights Templar
On the first ever "Friday the 13th" the nights templar came to an end due to rumors about their initiation. It was rumored that the Templar were initiating in homosexual activities. Their fear of the intense consequences their supposed actions may have caused such as execution caused the group to disassemble -
Oct 1, 1348
The Black Death
The Black Death reached Europe in October of 1347. This highly contagious plague ravaged through Europe killing nearly 25 million people in total. Looking for someone or something to blame during a time before modern medicine, many began pointing fingers at Jews. Violent interrogations occurred pressuring some Jews to confess to poisoning the drinking water of their towns. Despite this poison being an impossible cause of the Black Death, many Jews were killed and forced from their homes anyways. -
Feb 17, 1530
Egyptians Act of 1530
In 1530 the Roma people were expelled from Europe under the Egyptian act of 1530, claiming the Roma were deceiving people through false fortunes and committing the act of robbery. This act forbid any more of the nomadic people from entering Europe and only allowed those remaining in the area sixteen days to uproot their entire lives and move. -
Mar 1, 1533
The Buggery Act
In 1533, the Buggery Act was passed by the English Parliament during Henry VIII's reign making the act of sodomy a capitol offense punishable by death. This act was the first law against sodomy enforced by English government. Declaring buggery as an "unnatural" sexual crime against God, buggery remained a capitol offence until the 1800's. -
Feb 26, 1569
"Hebraeorum Gens"
On February 26th 1596, Pope Pius V issued a papal bull against all Jews, forcing several thousand out of their homes in Italy and France into exile or slums. Claiming they were "faithless and condemned their Redeemer [Jesus] to a shameful death," Pius sent them away in hopes that their "disease" would not spread to the dominant Christian faith of Europe. Many towns lost important members and providers of their community due to a faith condemned to hatred.
