Rights and obligations

The life of Jews in the Middle Ages was regulated by various rights and obligations and shaped by different claims to power and sovereignty over them. The emperor was the ultimate protector and thus highest power in the land, who not only bound the Jews to himself financially through taxation but also promised them protection. Often, taxes from the Jews or the Jewish community itself were pledged. This meant that it was not only the emperor who had an influence on the fortunes of the Jewish communities, but in fact also the "pfandherren" (pledgeholder lords) in question.

In the case of Regensburg, those creditors were usually the Bavarian dukes, but in some cases were individual citizens. The city itself also granted rights to the Jews, for example work permits or permission to settle, but also imposed various obligations as it did on the other residents. Such rights could be granted to the entire community or to individuals, just as obligations could be imposed on specific members of the community or on all Jews.

The seal of the Jewish woman Dislaba here represents communication between Jews and Christians. Seals were attached to records of transactions as authentication. Although under Jewish law, Halakhah, a signature and a witness were sufficient for authentication, the Jews started to use seals in the 13th century. This facilitated business transactions and dealings with Christians, and a seal was also a symbol of prestige.

Dislaba was a Jewish businesswoman who engaged in business both alone and together with her husband Sadian in the late 14th century. Her seal is a star above a crescent moon on its back in a pointed coat of arms, surrounded by ornamentation. The circumscription reads:
דיסלוב׳ . בת . משה S(IGILLVM) * (Seal of Dislaba, Daughter of Moses).