I. Buildings Integral to the Former Life and/or Persecution of Jews in Hamburg - Neustadt/St. Pauli. Millerntordamm. Millerntor(wache) (Tor=gate, Wache=watch). Millerntor. The first Jews to settle in Hamburg were Sephardi Jews who arrived at the end of the 16th century from Spain and Portugal via the Netherlands having been driven out of these countries by the Spanish. They settled mainly in Alten Wall, Mönkedamm, Herrlichkeit and Rödingsmarkt. They specialised in the wholesale trade of sugar, tobacco, coffee, cocoa, calico and spices, particularly pepper, and quickly developed a flourishing trade. They had good connections with the new American colonies and in 1619 participated in the foundation of a clearing bank. These wealthy Marrano Jews were an asset to Hamburg's economy and trade relations. The Portugese Jewish community remained separate from the Ashkenazi, German Jewish community through language, religious ritual, culture and status. In 1600 German Jews settled in Hamburg. Hamburg's relationship to these German Jews was quite different; in the 17th century the Rat (council) tried to prevent their entry to the town. Jews were only allowed to enter and leave Hamburg through the Millerntor gate, where there was a special control. The town also made the Jewish community responsible for the support of poor Jews, with the intention that they would see that fewer entered the town. In the 17th and 18th centuries a representative of the town and a representative of the Jewish community jointly controlled the Millerntor gate to prevent any poor Jew from "sneaking" into the town. A contemporary account of the control at the Millerntor gate states: "Vor dem Schlagbaum ist zur Rechten das Thorschreiberhäuschen, und zur Linken eine Bude, worin ein Vogt und eine Jude zum Aufpassen bettelhafter Fremden bestellt ist." ("In front of the turnpike, to the right is the gate lodge clerk, and left a cabin in which an overseer and a Jew watch for beggarly Jews."). In the 17th and 18th centuries many Jews lived in Altona and made their living in Hamburg, the latter being a commercial metropolis with many more opportunities of making a living than in the much smaller Altona. Altona under the reign of the Danes in the 17th century, and later Count Hugo von Schönborn in the 18th century, granted the Jews certain citizens rights, a cemetery and prayer halls. This was not the case in Hamburg. In order to pursue their business in Hamburg Jews were required to purchase a pass, valid for four weeks, from the Hamburg Rat. Wealthy Jews had little problem paying the cost of the pass but this was otherwise for poor Jewish small traders. Glückel von Hameln writes about the period around 1650 in her memoirs: "In Altona haben etliche Familienväter gewohnt, ungefähr fünfundzwanzig Haushaltungen, und dort haben wir Beträume und Friedhof gehabt. Also haben wir Zeitlang in Altona gewohnt. Und endlich ist in Hamburg erreicht worden, daß man den Juden in Altona Pässe gegeben, daß sie in die Stadt gehen durften und Handel treiben. Ein jeder Paß hat gehalten auf vier Wochen. Denselben hat man von dem regierenden Bürgermeister von Hamburg bekommen und er hat einen Dukaten gekostet ... Besonders sind nebbich manche Arme und Elende gewesen, die sich oft gewagt haben, ohne Paß in die Stadt zu schleichen. Wenn sie dann von der Polizei ertappt worden sind, hat man sie ins Gefängnis gelegt." ("In Altona there were around twenty-five families, with prayer halls and a cemetery. Consequently, we lived in Altona for some time. Then it became possible for Jews in Altona to obtain entry passes to Hamburg, enabling them to practice their trade there. Each pass was valid for four weeks. It was issued by the mayor of Hamburg, and cost a ducat ... Some ne'er-do-wells, poor and destitute, often dared to steal into the town without a pass. When caught by the police they were imprisoned."). Even with a pass "ihr Leben oft nicht sicher vor Bosheit von bösen Leuten und Lumpengesindel" ("Jews were not safe from malevolent individuals and riff-raff").