The Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II issued an edict of toleration in 1781 [excerpted].
In order to make the Jews more useful, discriminatory Jewish clothing which has been worn in the past is now abolished. Within two years the Jews must abandon their own language; from now on all their contracts, bonds, wills, accounts. ledgers, certificates and any legally binding document must be drawn up in German . . . Jews may continue to use their own language during religious services . . . Jews who do not have the opportunity of sending their children to Jewish schools must send them to Christian ones to learn reading, writing, arithmetic and other subjects . . . Jews will also be permitted to attend the imperial universities . . . Leaders of local communities must rationally instruct their people that the Jews may be treated like any other fellow human being. There must be an end to the prejudice and contempt which some subjects, particularly the less intelligent, have shown towards the Jewish people.
