When Völkermarkt was first mentioned in documents at the beginning of the 12th century, one part of Völkermarkt was called the forum iudeorum (“Market of the Jews”) which hints at quite a few Jews living there. In 1293 the toll and mint of Völkermarkt. and St. Veit was leased to a company, consisting of Christian citizens from the two cities, a Friulian, and a Jew.
Jews had a synagogue from the 12th century and a cemetery (in the area of the Lilienberg), from which the tombstone of rabbi Sabbatai, killed in 1129-1130, isnow kept in the Landesmuseum in Klagenfurt. Some of them lived in the “Herrengasse” (today Oktober-Strasse 10) where the houses of the noble families were. The Judenmeister (representative of the Jewish community), Carpel, is mentioned in 1333. Levi of Völkermarkt, son of the physician Leb (Jehuda) Walch, was made “Hochmeister of the German Jews” by Emperor Friedrich III. During the years 1480-1487, this brought him a most difficult role as mediator between the Emperor and the Jews. The main source of income was money-lending.
The Jews were expelled in 1496. They were able to sell some of their houses. The king confiscated the synagogue and handed it over to the town, which used it as prison.