Who is a Jew?

HIST2134 The Third Reich through Documents, 1933-1945

Lecture 5: Anti-Semitic policies of the Third Reich, 1933-38 26 February 2013

Religious Anti-Judaism Based on deeply rooted ideological, cultural, psychological prejudices in Europe: • Christian ideas of Jewish guilt for Jesus’

death

• Christian defamation of Jewish religious practices

texts &

• But: Jews had chance to become Christians

Economic Anti-Judaism Based on religious Anti-Semitism since Medieval: • Jews allegedly using dirty tricks & attempting to enrich themselves on Christians’ costs → Jews seen as economic parasites Increased with modern capitalism of 19th c.: → Jews allegedly profited strongly from rapid changes of European economies • But: Jews had chance to assimilate to Christian societies

German Jews, 1871-1933 • 1871: Equal citizens: no official Anticommon prejudices

Semitism but

• WW I: 10,000 Jewish men in army • 1933: Mostly fully assimilated: business, academia, cultures, media = Ca. 550,000: only 1% of German population

Anti-Semitism in 1920s • Based on anti-Semitic works of late 19th c. • Common pattern to comprehend Germany’s national, social, economic situation after 1918 • Reflected in Hitler’s obsessions in Mein Kampf & speeches: Jews seen as alien elements, parasites, bacillus, enemies

Racial Anti-Semitism • Based on religious & economic Anti-Semitism: • Social-Darwinist ideas + ‘scientific’ race theories • Jews seen as having specific “Jewish” features: Characters, attitudes, habits → Biologically-defined ‘Jewish race’ • And: Jews not permitted to change or adapt but only to leave society

NS Anti-Semitism • Based on racial Anti-Semitism: • Jews to be removed from Germany • Other ‘sub-humans’: ‘gypsies’, ‘idiots’, homosexuals be persecuted → To “clean nation from parasites” → To achieve NS peoples’ community & ‘living space’

to

NS Anti-Semitic Politics (1) • No master plan but mainly improvised measures • Hitler’s role disputed among historians: • Intentionalist school: Hitler’s program & ideology prevalent • Structuralist school: Economic goals, bureaucratic rivalries without Hitler’s direct influence: ‘No Führerbefehl’ • Integrated school: Both elements mattered !

NS Anti-Semitic Politics (2) Improvised step-by-step process: • Conducted by polycratic power system → Hitler, SS, police, bureaucracy • Executed in usual two-folded way: ↑ Propaganda + terror by regional-local NS ↓ Legal sanctioning by NS government

NS Anti-Semitic Politics (3) ‘Legally’ conducted & generally accepted: • 1933: “Racial laws” to exclude Jews from various professions & offices • 1935: ‘Nuremberg Laws’ to create second-class citizens

• 1938: Anti-Jewish legislation to discriminate & withdraw elementary rights

‘Racial laws’ (1) •

Who is a Jew?

1) A Jew with at least 3 full-Jewish grandparents 2) A half-breed (Mischling) with 2 full-Jewish grandparents who has either or all … a. Jewish religion b. Jewish spouse c. A parent as 1) ► A ‘Full Jew’ (Volljude) ☻ = German national of ‘lower status’ (since 1935)

‘Racial laws’ (2) ► Jewish half-breed (Mischling) a. Of 1st grade (2 Jewish grandparents) ☺ → ☻ b. Of 2nd grade (1 Jewish grandparent) ☺ ► Jews with military honours ☺ → ☻ ☺→☻ Since 1935: Step-by-step exclusion + isolation (e.g. education, military) Since 1943: Forced labour service

Pogrom of 9 Nov 1938 (1) ‘Night of the Broken Glass’ (Reichskristallnacht): Only large-scale Anti-Jewish action in Germany 1933-9

• Assassination: German diplomat by young Jew in Paris • Up-heated propaganda: Goebbels • Putting-on-fire of synagogues/shops: ‘Broken crystal glass’ • SA maltreatment of Jews = Organized destruction, plunder, extortion, denunciation

Pogrom of 9 Nov 1938 (2) • Arrest of 30.000 Jewish men in concentration

camps

(Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Dachau)

• Capital levy of 20 %: payable in four instalments, resulted in 1,2 Billion RM extra government revenue

• Strong pressure on Jews to emigrate (USA, UK,

Palestine,

Argentina, South Africa, China)

• ‘Aryanization’ (Arisierung) of Jewish property • ‘Elimination’ (Entfernung) of Jews from public life

… and other Germans ? • Mainly silent, indifferent, intimidated but often tacitly critically about “senseless destruction” • Some actively participated in destruction & from “Aryanization” = Anti-Semitic propaganda generally not effective = Clear distinction between popular anti-Jewish sentiments + radical NS Anti-Semitism ► “But people knew what was going on …”

profited

Conclusion • 1933-9: To force Jews to emigrate: Hitler & polycracy care about public mood = Life strongly worsened for Jews in Germany • 1940-5: To mass murder Jews: Hitler & in war + outside Germany

polycracy act

= Life unbearable & highly dangerous for

Jews