Minorities, 1918-33 Flashcards
What did ethnic minorities face on a day-to-day basis?
Low level discrimination
How were ethnic minorities treated as less than in work?
They generally received lower wages and were less likely to be hired by white German men.
How many Polish speakers were there in Germany in 1925?
200,000 - another 500,000 spoke both Polish and German who were often born in Germany and saw themselves as German.
What did Article 113 say?
That groups who spoke a different language could not be legally prevented from using their language, or preserving their national identity.
What was the Jewish population like in 1918 compared with 1933?
Approx 1% of the population in 1918, fell to 0.76% in 1933 with the falling birth rate.
Where did most Jews in Germany love?
In cities (66.8% of Jews), approximately 1/3 of Jews lived in Berlin.
Where did Jews have influence?
Culture and politics
How many Jews held cabinet posts in the Weimar Republic?
5, including Walter Rathenau who became foreign minister in 1922.
What was the government criticised for by Germans?
Appointing Jews to high positions in government.
When was Rathenau assassinated?
Shortly after his appointment in 1922.
What did the Länder not always adhere to?
Article 113 - they had the authority to form and follow their own laws against minorities.
What did the government do after Rathenau’s assassination?
Banned a number of anti-Semitic organisations.
Why were gypsies discriminated against?
Because they moved around as a community and did not contribute to the economy by working, paying taxes or integrating into wider society.
What body contained anti-semitic traditional members?
The judiciary - made racial remarks in their judgments.
When did hostility towards Jews increase?
During the Great Depression - Jews were blamed for the collapse of the economy and society’s hardships. More and more people began to support the Nazis who were extremely anti-Semitic.
What Jewish organisation was set up to fight anti-Semitism during the Depression?
The Reich Federation of Jewish Front Soldiers.
How did the Länder discriminate against Gypsies?
Bavaria passed a series of laws in 1926 and 1927 against Gypsies, aimed at controlling their movement, getting their children into schools and adults into work, and forcing them to carry identity cards.
What was the name of an aggressive, anti-Semitic organisation?
The German People’s Offensive and Defensive Alliance
