What's in a name?
Plenty...when the translation of your town's name means "Camp Kill Jews"!!!
Voters in the tiny Spanish village of Castrillo Matajudios (about 260km N of Madrid) have overwhelmingly decided it's well past time to change the name their town's had for nearly four centuries.
The vote was 29-19 in heavy turnout for the village, which has only 56 registered voters.
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 ordering Jews 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 to convince Spanish authorities of their loyalty. Others suspect the change may have come from a simple slip of the pen. Either way, it's definitely time for a change.
No Jews live there today, but many residents have ancient Jewish roots and the town's official shield includes the Star of David.
The final decision on a new name will be at a town hall meeting in June.
Plenty...when the translation of your town's name means "Camp Kill Jews"!!!
Voters in the tiny Spanish village of Castrillo Matajudios (about 260km N of Madrid) have overwhelmingly decided it's well past time to change the name their town's had for nearly four centuries.
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| Thank you, Google Earth! |
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 ordering Jews 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 to convince Spanish authorities of their loyalty. Others suspect the change may have come from a simple slip of the pen. Either way, it's definitely time for a change. No Jews live there today, but many residents have ancient Jewish roots and the town's official shield includes the Star of David.
The final decision on a new name will be at a town hall meeting in June.
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