Germany and Austria Prior to the First Crusade, thousands of Jews were murdered in Rhineland cities in 1096, because crusaders (Germans and French (East and West Franks), Lowlanders and English) believed they had to start the fight against the 'infidels' there before the " Saracens " to war in the Holy Land . [35] This so-called German crusade of 1096 went down in history as the first major persecution of Jews .
