If your quaint spanish village is looking to boost its tourist profile, it probably shouldn’t be called “Camp Kill Jews.”
That, at least, is the conclusion reached by the majority (but, not the entirety) of eligible voters in the Spanish town of Castrillo Matajudios, about a hundred and sixty miles north of Madrid. The town’s decision comes on the heels of the Spanish govenrment’s recent vote to bestow citizenship upon the descendants of Jews expelled during the inquisition.
Documents show the town’s original name was Castrillo Motajudios, meaning “Jews’ Hill Camp.”
The “Kill Jews” part of the name dates from 1627, more than a century after a 1492 Spanish royal edict orderingJews to become Catholics or flee the country. Those who remained faced the Spanish inquisition, with many burned at the stake.
Although Jews were killed in the area, researchers believe the town got its current name from Jewish residents who converted to Catholicism and wanted to reinforce their repudiation of Judaism to convince Spanish authorities of their loyalty, Rodriguez said.
Others suspect the change may have come from a slip of the pen.
Of the 56 registered voters in the town soon to be known as the town formerly known as “Camp Kill Jews,” 29 voted in favor of the name change, while 19 voted to keep Castrillo Matajudios for some goddamned reason or another.
Currently, there are no Jewish residents of Castrillo Matajudios.
I wonder why?
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