How did life change for German Jews in the 1930s?

Question 1

When did Hitler come to power?

Answer 1

Hitler came to power 1933

Question 2

Describe the Restrictions on Jews:

Answer 2

• restrictions on Jews increased
• Jews being slowly fazed out of society
• laws against Jews increased in frequency
• started off with petty laws to test waters
• all early laws are meant to isolate and exclude Jews from society
• Nazis viewed Jews as ‘Alien’ and deceptive and secretive so they isolated them
  
  • laws reinforce stereotypes as it makes the Jews look scared, shifty and desperate all the time
  • this was a way of hanging ordinary germans’ attitudes towards Jews

Question 3

Difference between German and Polish Jews:

Answer 3

• by 1942 Hitler in power for 9yrs, German Jews still allowed some freedoms whereas in Poland a month after Germany invaded them, Jews were put in ghettos and sent to concentration camps this is because:
  
  • Polish Jews seen as orthodox - communist
  • they were German
  • Jews in Germany were well assimilated so Hitler had to tread carefully
  • no death camps in Germany - in 1941 German Jews were sent to Polish concentration amps
  • otherwise economy would collapse

Question 4

Restrictions on Jews

Answer 4

• Jews can’t buy any milks or eggs - July 1942
• Jews not allowed to attend cinema - Nov 1938
• Jews must be home from 9pm in the Summer and 8pm in the Winter - Sept 1939
• Jewish children not allowed to go to school - June 1942
• Jewish people must hand in their books and radios - Jan 1936
• Jewish people may not buy magazines or newspapers - Feb 1942
• Jewish people can be thrown out of their houses
• stereotypes of Jews are that they’re greedy so could only buy food between 4pm and 5pm

Question 5

Nuremberg Laws - 1935

Answer 5

• Jews not allowed to have sex with germans and couldn’t get married to them either
• classed/defined what a Jew was on racial terms
• took German citizenship from Jews - lose rights

Question 6

Kristallnacht - night of broken lights - Nov 1938

Answer 6

• 1st time Nazis used outright violence against Jews
• orchestrated
• turning point from exclusion of Jews to violence towards Jews
• smashed Jewish houses and businesses, synagogues
• 3000 Jews taken to concentration camps
• 91 killed