What was it like to be a Jew living in Nazi Germany…. ? ….

Presentation by Mr Griffiths www.SchoolHistory.co.uk

It is important to remember that it was not only the Jews who were to experience any form of prejudice within Germany

… communists, gypsies, homosexuals, also faced persecution...

… and the persecution of the Jews was not new.

The persecution of the Jews had happened throughout history. There had always been anti - Semitic feelings (against Jews)

It reappeared in Germany in 1933.

•People who went out shopping were encouraged not to buy any goods from German shops

•People were “warned” about which shop belonged to the Jews

In 1935, the Nazi Party passed what was called the Nuremberg Laws

These laws were designed to

•To stop Jews and Germans from marrying.

•To stop Jews and Germans from having sexual relations

•To make sure that German blood was not tainted by mixing with other races

•Pictures would be produced warning people about what could happen. People were degraded

The Nazis placed a great emphasis upon encouraging the children to view what Hitler was doing as being right

Posters encouraged children into recognising that Hitler was a saviour. Schools became places to pick on the Jews

Various efforts were made to ensure that the children were brought up to believe that the Jews were inferior and a danger to German people. The next page shows you

Two extracts from school books. The one on the left shows you the dangers of Jews and Germans marrying

Children would be brought to the front of the class to see if they could be classified as Jews or not. If they were, then they would be humiliated

This book is designed to show what a normal German child looks like on the left. The pictures on the right show what Jewish children look like

In 1936, the Olympic Games came to Germany.

•The Nazis decided that they had to hide to the rest of the world what had been happening to the Jewish population.

•They still wanted the rest of the world to know what they thought of their leader

In 1938, the situation took a more serious turn for the worst. Called the Night of Broken Glass, the Nazis start to use violence against the Jews

Jewish shops, churches and other buildings were openly attacked. People became subjected to violence

It would lead to the start of more systematic violence...

From 1939 onwards, Jews were rounded up. They were forced to move out of their homes. To start off with they were sent to areas in cities designed only for them. These were ghettos

Jewish people had:

•Their property confiscated

•They were forced to move to new areas

•They had their citizenship taken

away

By 1941, the Jews were to be moved to concentration camps

They usually arrived by railway. Camps like Auschwitz and Dachau were more than just concentration camps

Jews from all over Europe were forced to work here

… then from 1941 - 42 onwards...

There was the Holocaust

… around 6 million Jews lost their lives in these death camps...

… these camps can still be found. Mostly in countries like Poland, they are a grim reminder of what racism can lead to...