In feudal Europe and the Middle Ages, Jews were generally prohibited from owning weapons and armor. Where were the exceptions and when?

by JWAxeMan
CI_Whitefish

I can give you two examples of exceptions to this rule in Hungary:

  1. Under the rule of Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490) "Jewish prefects" were allowed to own and wear swords in public. The most influential Jewish prefect, Jakab Mendel (or Mendel Jakab in Hungarian), and his son attended the wedding of Matthias Corvinus. As part of the ceremony they rode their horses in front of the royal couple and greeted them with drawn swords.

  2. Jews were allowed to own and wear swords in Ottoman Hungary between 1541 and 1686 due to the different attitude of the Ottomans towards Jews and necessity: Jewish subjects had to be able to defend themselves from raiders.

Kohn Samuel: "A zsidók története Magyarországon" covers the importance of the right to own weapons for Hungarian Jews, unfortunately I couldn't find it in English for you.