Publican

There were always Jewish publicans in Frankfurt. Before the time of the Judengasse, there was a Jewish hostelry near the Mainbrücke bridge. The last Jewish publican to work outside the Judengasse was Ruben, who died in 1470. When the Judengasse was first constructed, the hostelry was located at the Affe, where the publicans lived and worked. Many of them appear to have been very bad characters: Ruben lost his liquor licence, and his successor, Itzak from Emmerich, was expelled from the city. One famous publican was Knebel. At the beginning of the 16th. century he lived at the Schlüssel before moving into the Affe. The occupation was often passed from father to son. The inns were frequently the setting for cardsharping, gambling and stabbings. At some periods the Affe was just one of several hostelries in the Judengasse.