Willemstad – Jewish cemetery Beth Haim
The diaspora of Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula caused quite a stir, especially in the New World. The expulsion was the result of the Spanish Inquisition established in 1478. Ever since the Moorish rulers were defeated in Spain, the Catholics had forced the remaining Moors and Jews to convert to Christianity. One of the consequences of the Inquisition was that over a longer period of time around 160,000 Jews fled the country. Many moved to Portugal, but the Inquisition ruled there too, causing many Jews to move further along. Those who stayed were forced to convert. Jews who converted were called 'new Christians' or 'conversos', which means as much as converted. The expulsions reached a peak in 1492 and 1497.