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Holocaust
The Holocaust took place during
World War
II (1939 - 1945.) The term refers to the systematic killing of approx. six
million Jews and millions of others who were in the way of the
Nazis in Germany, who promoted anti-Semitism.
Adolf Hitler
came to power in 1933 and the Jewish population was targeted
immediately, their businesses boycotted, their books burnt, Jewish individuals were excluded from civil
service and their children banned from schools.
It went downhill from there.
Marriage between Jews and non-Jews was
outlawed. Jews were barred from going to the theaters and had to
travel and basically live separated from the rest. Finally their
entire property was confiscated and they were forced into ghettos.
Many Jews emigrated, many more tried but
weren't able to because countries limited the number of Jewish
immigrants.
November 9, 1938, was a new all-time
low. It became known as the Kristallnacht, which means
Crystal Night. What happened? For two days, Jewish synagogues
and businesses were raided, 91 Jews were killed, and around 30,000 Jewish men were sent to
concentration camps.
In the Eyes of the
Nazis, Who Was Officially a Jew?
The Nazis went by ancestry. You were a Jew when you had at least
three Jewish grandparents. If you had one or two, you were a "mixed
breed."
Museums and Memorials
There are many memorial places to visit, among them are:
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