What is discrimination? Why do human beings judge or perceive others as a threat just because of their religion or skin color? Discrimination has been going on for an extended period and everyone undergoes it at one point in his or her life. A group of people who faced discernment was the Jews. Discrimination of the Jews started when the German politician, Adolf Hitler, came into power. Hitler and his cabinet came up with the Nuremberg Laws that removed Jewish influences from the Aryan Society. The Nuremberg Laws also negated civil liberties for Germany's Jews. Several individual proceedings led up to the installation of the Nuremberg laws; two sets of laws were announced. Following the passing of the law, it severely affected an entire group …show more content…
As early as 1930, Frick had introduced a draft bill ‘for the Protection of the German Nation’ in the Reichstag, threatening draconian punishment for engaging in sexual relations with Jews and ‘coloured races’ (Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris 564). It was essential to ensure that there would not be a German nation “contaminated” with Jewish blood. Some 15,000 cases were pursued under the Nuremberg Law’s ban on “mixed” marriages and sexual intercourse between the races, indicating that the search for a racially pure state was at the heart of police and judicial practice (Caestecker and Fraser). Jews could only marry Jews or half-Jews, and half-Jews could only marry Jews or other half-Jews. Quarter-Jews could only marry Aryans, although in practice they experienced difficulties in doing so (Background & Overview of the Nuremberg Laws). Marriages that had occurred prior to the passage of this law would remain in effect; however, German citizens were encouraged to divorce their existing Jewish partners (Goss). In addition, Jews were also barred from employing German women under the age of forty-five as servants and were not permitted to raise the Reich and National flag (Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris
One event that encouraged Anti-Semitism and increased tensions leading up to Kristallnacht and beyond was the announcement of the Nuremberg Laws in September of 1935. This set of laws created by the Nazi party made sharp distinctions between the rights and privileges of Germans and Jews (Sigward 291). This redefined citizenship in the Third Reich and laid the groundwork for a racial state. For example, the Reich of Citizenship Law stripped Jews of their citizenship, claiming they didn’t have “German blood” (Sigward 291). Those of Jewish descent were denied the right to vote and the ability to obtain a valid passport or visa to leave the country. This law completely dehumanized Jews living in Germany and made them stateless, which caused those of the Aryan race or pure German descent to feel superior. In the Nuremburg Laws, Article 5 of the First Regulation to the Reich Citizenship Law defined a Jew as a descendant of three or more Jewish grandparents or two Jewish parents (Sigward 293). These laws lead to the Jews being persecuted for who they were, rather than the faith they believed during previous years. As a result of these laws being carried out, German nationalism and Anti-Semitism across the Reich increased drastically .
The fundamental root of discrimination is prejudice. Prejudice starts with cognition and our thoughts towards another group which often leads to a generalization or stereotyping (Myers, 2014, pg.572). Stereotyping leads us to emotions directed towards a particular group or person; including fear, hatred, and hostility, fundamentally this is negative prejudice (Myers, 2014, pg.572). Myers (2014) states that if we believe our thoughts to be true, our emotions will lead to the actual act of discrimination. Taking action on prejudice is discrimination; it is the behaviours or actions directed towards a specific distinction of a group (Myers, 2014, ph.572). We do know that discrimination can take many forms, some acceptable and others purely inexcusable.
Hitler put into effect the Nuremberg Race Laws, which were a set of orders put into law that commanded anyone belonging in a number of minority groups, which included but was not limited to Africans, homosexuals, Gypsies, and Jews, had to register at a local center, after which they were segregated from the rest of the German public. The Jews were forced to walk around with the Star of David displayed on their clothing, and were given more public rules, like during what hours they were allowed to be outside or how much food they could buy at one time.
In 1935, Hitler enacted the Nuremberg Race Laws. These laws targeted various groups of people and stripped them of their citizenship. At first, Jews were the only individuals who were majorly impacted. They were not permitted to marry German citizens or raise German flags. As time passed, however, these rules became more and more restricted and many other "undesirables" (Gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally disabled, Communists, and more) were negatively affected as their names were added to the target list within the Nuremberg Laws.
The ultimate racialization of the Jewish religion came with the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, and those of “mixed blood” status were now legally labeled and bound. The law decreed that German citizens with two Jewish grandparents were first degree Mischlinge or Halbjudge, and those with a single Jewish grandparent were considered second degree or Verteljude (Ehmann 117). These laws signified the shift not only to further subjugate the Jews, but any remotely associated persons and the eventual goal of total racial elimination. However, it is important to
The election of Adolf Hitler in Germany as Chancellor in 1933 brought many gradual changes to the struggling state, which had been greatly affected by the damages of World War I. These changes, through the use of legislation and government, were directed towards the minorities, especially the Jews. The actions of Hitler caused the death of millions and many other negative side effects to Germany and their people. One major enactment that was directed against the Jews were the Nuremberg Laws, which consequently stripped the Jews of their German citizenship. These helped establish the widespread persecution against the Jewish community, which eventually led to the British getting involved with the transportation of thousands of refugee children. Britain had some history with the immigration of a large amount of children during World War I from Belgium. They once again took up the humanitarian effort with the Kindertransport, which saved the lives of many children from Germany.
The question of: “To what extent were the Nuremberg Trials fair?” is important because it evaluates whether the justice system was successful, unbiased, and fair; instead of vengeance for the Allied nations. The scope of the investigation is during the Nuremberg Trials that occurred after World War II and including the recent trials that are still being uncovered and investigated. One way to support that the trials were biased is the examination of the article: The Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials, which gives the first-hand experience of Benjamin Ferencz, an investigator of the Nuremberg Trials and was assigned the role of Chief Prosecutor during the trials for the United States. Another method to be used in this investigation is the research
The Nuremberg Laws effectively banned the Jews from any citizen rights. The ‘Blood Law’ or Reich’s Citizenship Law banned Jews from marrying Germans, it banned them from sexual relations with Aryans, it banned the Jewish people from displaying the National flag and effectively stripped them of their rights to citizenship. The debate about what defined a Jew tested Hitler in the weeks following the Nuremberg Rally eventually creating the ‘mischlinge’ category of 1st or 2nd degree half Jews, all of which were subject to less but varying degrees of discrimination. The two years that followed were also relatively quiet as far the Jewish question was concerned
Unfortunately due to our past history, discrimination had been among us from since decades. Discrimination and prejudice would probably be among us until the end of the world. Prejudice and discrimination is an action that treats people unfairly because of their membership in a particular social group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs to rather on that individual. It is an unfair treatment to a person, racial group, and minority. It is an action based on prejudice.
By 1933, the Jewish population in Germany was around 525,000 people which was only one percent of the total German population. During the years to follow, Nazis established an “Aryanization” of Germany. Non- Aryans (non- Germans) were dismissed from civil service, Jewish- owned businesses were liquidated, and Jewish layers and doctors were stripped of their clients. Later in 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were enacted by the Nazi government. The Nuremberg Laws were composed of two new racial laws, the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law to Protect German Blood and Honor. The Nuremberg Laws restricted Jews, it declared that anyone who had three or four Jewish grandparents would be deemed as a Jew, and anyone with two Jewish grandparents would be deemed a Mischlinge (half-breed). The Nuremberg Laws led to Jews becoming targets of wide-spread discrimination and persecution. These laws stripped Jews of their German citizenship and outlawed marriage and sexual intercourse between Jews and non-Jews. They also prohibited Jews from obtaining certain jobs (such as jobs in the government, medical field, and in law). They prohibited Jews from certain entertainment and recreational activities (such as parks, beaches, theaters, sporting events). Under the Nuremberg Laws Jews were also prohibited
The Holocaust is most well-known for the organized and inhumane extermination of more than six million Jews. The death total of the Jews is this most staggering; however, other groups such as Gypsies, Poles, Russians, political groups, Jehovah’s witnesses, and homosexuals were targeted as well (Holocaust Encyclopedia: Introduction to the Holocaust). The initial idea of persecuting select groups of people began with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. In January 1930, Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany after winning over its people with powerful and moving speeches. From this point forward, it was a goal for both Hitler and his Nazi Party to rid the world of deemed “inferior” groups of people (Holocaust Encyclopedia: Timeline
Purpose- The purpose of these mandates are directed towards the German populace and the importance of maintaining the purity of German Blood in order to safeguard the future of the German nation. Specifically, these mandates prohibited marriages and extramarital intercourse between Jews and Germans and forbade the employment of German females under 45 in Jewish households. Furthermore, this document shows the extent to which Hitler was able to pervert power in order to place limitations on certain races and use it as a ruse to further maintain power.
More than half a century has passed since the end of World War Two and to this day it is still difficult to fully understand the severity of what was by far the most destructive war in human history. More than sixty million people were killed during World War Two and more than half of those were innocent town’s people. Among the dead were over six million Jews, which was two thirds of the total living race in Europe at the time. Beyond these general statistics were thousands of stories of crimes committed against soldiers and civilians. These crimes against humanity included cases of prisoners of war being murdered, sent to concentration camps and abuse as well as harmless civilians being rounded up and
The Nuremberg Laws, created September 15, 1935, were rooted in the idea of Nazi eugenics; to biologically “improve” the population into achieving the Master race that Hitler envisioned. These laws would ensure that any mixing of German and Jewish blood would cease and
After Hitler comes into power, the laws of Jewish persecution become more often, stricter, and more deadly. The next law that passed was that of the Nuremberg Laws these laws stated that none of the Jews in Germany were allowed to marry Aryans or fly the German flag (The Holocaust Background info center). 1935 ended with another law against the Jews being passed, as did the start of 1936.