18 - Nazi Policy Towards the Jews 1933-37 Flashcards
What myths were spread about the Jews in the Middle Ages?
- Jews had killed Jesus
- they had caused the black death through black magic
- murdered Christian children for their blood
- Communism was a Jewish belief
How did Muslims and Christians treat Jews?
- Muslims respected them
- Christians wanted them to convert
- by the 16th century, 80% of the Jewish population lived in Poland
What was the Jewish Question?
The belief that a Semetic race had developed and was born separate. How would they get Jewish communities to give up their religion
When was the boycott of Jewish shops?
1st April 1933
What did the boycott consist of?
- SA marked out places of interest that were to be boycotted
- court proceedings with Jewish lawyers were disrupted in Berlin and Breslau
- Jewish doctors, teachers, and uni lecturers also disrupted by SA
What was the impact of the boycott?
Neither success or unsuccessful
- featured in international and national news
- was unclear what a Jewish shop was
- abandoned after 1 day, but SA had hoped it would last longer
What were Hitler’s intentions with the boycott?
Allowed the radical activists some freedom while showing the Nazi violence potential
Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service
Required Jews to be dismissed from the Civil Service
What was the Jewish definition in 1933?
If either of your parents or either of your grandparents were Jewish, you were non-Aryan
What exception was made about Jewish people?
Hindenburg wanted anyone who had served/ father had been killed in WW1 to be exempt. Applied to 2/3 of Jewish Civil Service workers
What was the impact of the Civil Service Law?
- 37,000 Jews emigrated from Germany in 1933
- economic and psychological effect on middle class Jews
How did the legal profession fare in this period?
- made up 16% of the legal profession
- 60% were able to continue working in spite of regulations
How did the medical profession fare in this period?
- more than 10% of doctors
- presented as a danger to society
- April 1933, could only treat Jewish patients, but many carried on as normal
How did education fare in this period?
The law against Overcrowding of German Schools and Universities April 1933
- restricted the number of Jewish children that could attend state school
- propaganda stated that an ‘Educated Jew’ would be dangerous
- process was not completed until 1338 and Jews could still attend private and Jewish schools
How did the press profession fare in this period?
Oct 1933, Reich Press Law
- silenced Jewish journalists
- allowed publications they didn’t like to be shut down
- encouraged violence towards press
