Legislation
For the sake of Germany, Hitler believed the nation must be stripped of all Jewish influence. He wanted the Jews to be removed from political and public office and replaced by “Aryans,” the true Germans. The first anti-Jewish act of the Nazi government was to deny the Jews of their equal rights. This was accomplished on March 23, 1933 when Hitler gathered a majority in the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act, a law that provided the government with the power to pass legislation even if it conflicted with the German Constitution (Dawidowicz, 35). Following the Enabling Act, Hitler was able to freely pass laws that supported Nazi ideology. In an exchange of letters between President Hindenburg and Hitler in April 1933, Hitler explained that he was working on a law that would “cleanse” Germany of officials who could not be trusted with the nation’s well being (Arad et al, 37). He was referring to the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, the first anti-Jewish law that was issued two days after Hitler’s letter to Hindenburg. The law began the dismissal of “non-Aryans” from government employment. Following Hindenburg’s request, war veterans were excluded from the law (Dawidowicz, 36). Several other anti-Jewish laws followed including:
Source: (Dawidowicz 36-56)
- The First Decree for Implementation of the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, April 11, 1933 The decree defined “non-Aryan” status for anyone that had non-Aryan parents or grandparents. Civil Servants had to provide proof of their “Aryan” ancestry in order to keep their jobs.
- Law Against the Overcrowding of German Schools and Institutions of Higher Learning, April 25, 1933 This started the removal of “non-Aryan” students from schools. The same day an issued decree set the admissible quota of “non-Aryan” students at 1.5 percent in order to ensure education was provided to “Aryans” before anyone else.
- Reich Citizenship Law, September 15, 1935 German citizenship could only be granted to those of “German or kindred blood.” Jews could not be citizens or granted the right to vote. A later decree issued in November addressed the issue of children of mixed marriages between Jews and “Aryans.” These children were labeled Mischling, or “hybrids”, and varying degrees determined if someone was considered a Jew. Also, the exemptions of the 1933 legislation, that permitted war veterans to serve as civil servants, were removed.
- Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor, September 15, 1935 Marriage and sexual relations between Jews and “Aryans” was prohibited in order to preserve the purity of German blood. Jews were not allowed to display the Reich colors or fly the national flag. However, they were allowed to display the Jewish colors. Paired with the Reich Citizenship Law, these laws are known as “the Nuremberg Laws” because they were both announced at a Party Rally in Nuremberg on the same day.
- Law Regarding the Legal Status for the Jewish Religious Communities, March 28, 1938 The Gemeinden, the legally recognized local Jewish religious communities, were withdrawn from public status and placed under control of the Reich. The Gestapo eventually controlled them.
- Decree Regarding the Reporting of Jewish Property, April 26, 1938 Jews were ordered to report the value of all their properties to the government. This was the first step to the Reich confiscating all Jewish belongings.
- Second Decree for the Implementation of the Law Regarding Changes of Family Names, August 17, 1938 Jews were no longer allowed to take “Aryan” names. In order to identify Jews more easily on passports and documents, Jewish men were required to add the name Israel to their own name while Jewish women were required to add Sarah. This was a step towards other identification methods including Jews being required to wear white armbands with the Star of David and yellow badges that were labeled Jude.
Source: (Dawidowicz 36-56)
The anti-Jewish laws were used to identify Jews and isolate them from the rest of the German population. Jews faced punishments including imprisonment and fines if they did not comply. As time passed, anti-Jewish legislation worsened along with mistreatment of the Jewish population. In 1941, Don Krausz, a child at the time, recalls the restrictions of the Nuremberg Laws in the Netherlands. He was forced to wear a yellow star and attend a different school meant for Jews. Jewish children were also prohibited from going to movie theatres, riding bicycles, or going to playgrounds (Krausz). The anti-Semitic legislation had devastating effects on Jews all over Europe as the Nazis spread their influence over the continent. Ezra Perry, an Austrian Jew, states his father was stopped on the street and forced to clean it with a toothbrush while others watched and laughed (Perry, 1). The Jews were constantly humiliated and victimized by the anti-Semitic regime.
Top Image: Hitler shaking hands with President Hindenberg. Source: U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Bottom Image: Instructional Chart used to distinguish Jews from Mischlinge and Aryans. Source: The History Place
Top Image: Hitler shaking hands with President Hindenberg. Source: U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Bottom Image: Instructional Chart used to distinguish Jews from Mischlinge and Aryans. Source: The History Place