How did the Nazis change life for the Jews in Germany?

The Nazis made life very hard for the Jews in Germany. This blog post is going to explain exactly what happened to the Jews and how their lifestyles were affected.

Adolf Hitler wanted to get rid of the people he didn't like. Originally, Hitler's political opponents were the main targets and they could be imprisoned or put in a concentration camps without trial. However soon after, the lives of many Jews were affected. In 1934, Hindenburg died which resulted in Hitler receiving power of Germany and the armed forces. Many people including civil servants swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler.

A chart outlining who was considered a

Jew according to the Nuremburg Laws

In 1935 the Nuremburg Laws began to be instituted. These were a series of laws that limited Jewish citizenship and involvement in public life. Jews were denied the right to German citizenship and marriage was not allowed between Jews and non-Jews. Unlike most historical cases of anti-semitism, these laws showed 'Jewishness' as a race and not as a religion. (We are not referring it to Judaism as that refers to the religion. To be classed a Jew, it was about whether your parents or even grandparents were Jewish.)

Racist ideas about Jews were taught to children in schools and they were widely known as inferior compared to German citizens. There was lots of propaganda around and many examples of anti-semitism. Laws began to be introduced, limiting what Jews could do. Jews were excluded from public life and education. There were separate schools for Jewish children. The Jews were isolated and segregated because people saw them as dangerous outsiders. There were even laws about what benches Jews could sit on! In some public places there were signs that said 'Yellow Benches for Jews'.

The Kristallnacht

In 1938, there was an event called the Kristallnacht. This was when Jewish businesses and synagogues were destroyed. Slowly, the Nazis were taking away all freedom for the Jews. They even had to hand in their passports to be stamped. Many Jews tried to flee from Germany but they were forced to leave all money and properties behind. Some children were sent out of the country alone because parents were so keen for them to escape. There was something set up called the Kinder transport which helped children to be transported out of the country.

Now you have learnt about how the Nazis changed life for the Jews in Germany and the hardships the Jews endured.