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Nuremberg Race Laws Research paper
The Nuremberg Laws were laws in Germany passed unanimously on September 15, 1935, by Nazis. These laws barred Jewish people from marriage or sexual relations with “Aryans”, and classified them as second class citizens. Jewish people which the Nazis discriminated against were anyone who had Jewish parents, or 3 or more Jewish grandparents, not necessarily their religious beliefs. Jewish people were also banned from competing in the Olympic games and other public places. November 15, 1935, the Nuremberg laws extended to Gypsies, black people, Slavs, and anyone who wasn’t “Aryan” from marrying “Aryan” people. The Nuremberg Laws caused the Holocaust indirectly, because Nuremberg Laws were not as extreme as gassing all Jewish people. The Laws were created because of anti semitic feelings and because Nazis were in charge, leading to humiliation of Jewish people’s daily lives, and eventually, the Holocaust.
The original Nuremberg Laws.
Anti semitism has sometimes been called “the longest hatred”, because it has existed for roughly 2,000 years. The reason why some people hate Jewish people, is because they blame Jewish people for the crucifixion of Jesus, and because they don’t believe he was the Son of God. Martin Luther wrote a book called “The Jews and Their Lies” in 1543, talking about his beliefs that all Jewish synagogues and schools should be burned down, their money/ houses should be taken, and many beliefs that Hitler believed.
“Article 1
1. Marriages between Jews and subjects of the state of German or related blood are forbidden. Marriages nevertheless concluded are invalid, even if concluded abroad to circumvent this law.
2. Annulment proceedings can be initiated only by the state prosecutor.
Article 2
Extramarital relations between Jews and subjects of the state of German or related blood are forbidden.”
So what lead to the Nuremberg laws? Anti semitism and feelings are why they became law, but how did they legally become law? They became law because Nazis were in charge. They unanimously passed these laws, because of their hatred for Jewish people, and because Germany was recovering from WW1, and needed new government. Jewish people were blamed for the war, despite there being no evidence of this. The Nazi party started out as a small organization called the German Worker’s Party. The German Worker’s Party was similar to the Nazi party, except it had less power in terms of law. Adolf Hitler was great at speeches, and convinced people to believe their ideologies.The party grew however, and eventually gained legal power. This inevitably lead to their feelings becoming law.
Now, Hitler knew young minds are very impressionable, so he went into the school system and basically brainwashed children to become Nazis. Adolf Hitler once said, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future”. Hitler believed that children 10 or older should hold nazi beliefs, and not ask any questions. Anyone who fought/questioned Hitler was arrested, even if it was just by word of mouth. These 2 things both spread Nazism across Germany.
So how did the Nuremberg laws affect Jewish people? According to article 1 of the Nuremberg Laws, “Marriages between Jews and subjects of the state of German or related blood are forbidden. Marriages nevertheless concluded are invalid, even if concluded abroad to circumvent this law.” This means that if a Jew wanted to marry a Gentile woman, or were married, these laws annulled that instantly. They would have felt ashamed, and they legally were second class citizens. They were legally fired from their jobs, banned from certain public places, and forced to wear the Star of David. In European history, Jewish people have been forced to wear pointed hats, but that obsolete practice died off in the 19th century. Hitler knew if every Jewish person was labeled, killing them would be easier.
Jewish people wearing the Star of David. This came before the Nuremberg Laws.
After every Jewish person was legally a second class citizen, things got worse. Hitler used the Star of David to label Jewish people, so he could track them down and kill them. Between 1941-1945, 6,000,000 Jewish men, women, and children were murdered by Hitler’s nazi’s in this grotesque slaughter. To put this into perspective, if there were three Jewish people in Europe before the war, only 1 of them would be alive by the end of WW2. This was the most brutal massacre of the 20th century.
In conclusion, the Nuremberg Laws indirectly caused the Holocaust, because they were tamer than exterminating all Jewish people. The laws were practiced because of feelings of anti semitism, and because Nazis were in charge, leading to humiliation in every day Jewish lives, and eventually, the Holocaust. What lessons can we learn from this tragedy? First of all, we can learn that when passing laws without thinking of consequences, the consequences can be great. Another thing we can learn is not to pass laws because of feelings. We can also learn that we should base laws on the constitution, rather than how we think it should be. Last of all, not give power to those who don’t have to pay the consequences.
Bibliography
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http://brittannica.com/EBchecked/topic/ Nurremberg-Laws>
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