1. Where does Anti-Semitism come from? Throughout most of history Jews have been a minority group in whichever empire or country they have lived. Historically, Jewish communities typically maintained a very distinct culture and did not assimilate into the larger community. This caused them to be seen as outsiders and easy scapegoats.

2. Anti-Semitism in the Ancient World Ancient World – ethnic (anyone who wasn’t Greek or Roman) But, Jews were a privileged minority in the Roman Empire (because of semi-successful rebellions) which made other minorities in the Middle East dislike them Forced to be tax collectors in the Persian and Islamic empires (a job deemed “too low” for the Persians or Muslims)

3. Anti-Semitism in the New Testament Jesus accused “the Jews” as being “from [their] father the Devil” (John 8:44) “The Jews” as the opponents of Jesus and the ones responsible for his death. Pontius Pilate asked “the crowd” (assumed to be Jews) if Jesus should be released. They replied, “No,” and so he was executed. Historically, this is very unlikely. Subject people were rarely allowed any say in legal matters, especially involving capital punishment. And, crucifixion is an exclusively Roman punishment for crimes against the state.

4. Anti-Semitism in the Medieval World Hatred was religious in nature In the eyes of medieval Christians, Jews are Jesus’s people who do not believe Jesus was the son of God – ultimate blasphemy Jews blamed for the death of Jesus Christ Crusades – thousands of Jews massacred or expelled from European cities Jews blamed for the Black Death – in one city, 900 Jews burned alive even before the plague got there

5. Anti-Semitism in the Early Modern Era Rising nationalism – Jews maintained their own distinct culture and were viewed as outsiders – never seen as part of the nations in Europe Scientific Racism – the idea of Jews as a race Spanish Inquisition – forced Jews to convert, emigrate, or be executed

7. Anti-Semitism in Hitler’s Lifetime Late 1800s – pogroms (violent mob attacks) in eastern Europe 1893 – Dreyfus Affair In response, Theodor Herzl writes The Jewish State explaining that Jews will only be safe in their own nation (confirms for anti-Semites the idea of Jews as “other”) Austrian politician Karl Lueger (Mayor of Vienna from 1897-1910) wins election by blaming Jews for bad economic times (Note: Hitler was born in Austria in 1889) 1917 Bolshevik Revolution sympathetic to Jews – right- wing groups saw Jews as conspiring with communists

8. Adolf Hitler and Anti-Semitism Hitler lived in Vienna from 1905 to 1913 (age 16- 24) which was a “hotbed for Anti-Semitism” thanks to Karl Lueger and a fear of immigrants from eastern Europe (Jews fleeing pogroms) WWI – right-wing Germans believed a conspiracy theory that Germany did not lose the war but were betrayed by civilians at home. Jews were welcomed in the new Weimar Republic, especially intellectuals into universities that had previously been closed off to Jews, and so some suspected that they had conspired to end the war and overthrow the Kaiser.

9. THE HOLOCAUST Nazi’s “final solution” to the Jewish problem

10. DISNEY’S “EDUCATION FOR DEATH” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l14WDZCnz-w

11. INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLOCAUST The Holocaust was the “systematic, bureaucratic, state- sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators” Also: Roma, political enemies, priests, religious leaders, homosexuals, Communists, socialists, physically and mentally disabled, and anyone who spoke out against Hitler

12. ALL OF THE COLORS Each one of Hitler’s targeted people groups were assigned a different colored inverted triangle to wear (this went away over time – too hard) Red = Communist and political enemies Normal red triangle = POW, spy, deserter Green = criminals Black = Roma and “asocial elements” Lesbians, alcoholics, mentally ill, prostitutes Yellow = Jews Purple = Jehovah’s Witnesses Pink = homosexual men and sex offenders Blue = foreigners

13. They came for the Communists, and I didn't object For I wasn't a Communist; They came for the Socialists, and I didn't object For I wasn't a Socialist; They came for the labour leaders, and I didn't object For I wasn't a labour leader; They came for the Jews, and I didn't object For I wasn't a Jew; Then they came for me And there was no one left to object. Martin Niemoller, (1892-1984) German Protestant Pastor, & Nazi Political Prisoner from 1937 to 1945

14. Beginnings… Nuremberg Laws in 1935 Deprived Jews (and non-Aryans) of German citizenship Boycott of Jewish goods Jews need ID cards and lose the right to vote 1938 – Kristallnacht

15. Escalation Einsatzgruppen: Mobile killing units who would shoot Jews en masse … not cost effective After WWI, Nazis forcibly moved Jews to ghettos Why? What were the ghettos like? Transit camps, concentrated in one area Jewish star Over time, transitioned into labor camps Why?

16. EICHMANN AND HIMMLER Major SS officers – in charge of setting up the first labor camps Adolf Eichmann Made to implement the “Final Solution” Trains, convoys, poison gas 1940: “Madagascar Plan” Heinrich Himmler – leader of the SS (Schutzstaffel – elite guard of Nazi party) Organized camps and created a formal system

17. FROM THE GHETTOS TO THE CAMPS Taken by railcar to the camps Day or week long trips Inhumane conditions Think slave ships Standing room, no food, no water By the time they get to the camp, they are incredibly weak

18. ENTRANCE INTO THE CAMPS Upon arrival: Separated strong from weak and women from men Shaved body hair, one set of clothing, number tattooed on your arm Removal of human identity – why? Strappado Forced to work in quarries, mines, make ammo, etc.

19. "After taking away our personal possessions, shaving us bald, disinfecting us and giving us a hot bath, they left us standing half naked in the snow with just wooden clogs, sometimes for up to five hours at temperatures of -25 °C. Many inmates froze and died sooner or later as a result. Herr Schutzhaftlagerführer Bachmayer greeted the ‘Czech university gang’ in person and tormented them terribly. He slashed our faces with a bullwhip, then he called out the high officials, broke them in with senseless orders and set his dogs on them. A pack of professional criminals and dogs in human form in SS uniforms sprang on the rest of us. The blood flowed in streams, every day, without interruption. Bachmayer assured us that no one had left Mauthausen alive and that the only way out was up the chimney, and that the best thing would be for us to 'go to the wire' straightaway." Milos Vitek, former Mauthausen inmate (AMM V/3/1)

20. FROM LABOR CAMPS TO DEATH CAMPS Needed labor to help fix post-WWI Germany Camps started out poor quality, but progressively got worse as the Nazi party gained strength Certain people experimented on Mengele – “The German Doctor”

21. JOSEF MENGELE Doctor at Auschwitz “Angel of Death” Experimentation on children Especially twins Eye color Chief provider for gas chambers One block of women had lice in it – his response?

22. 1941-1945 – DEATH CAMPS Wanted to quickly exterminate the Jews It became expensive to keep them alive Gas chambers Worked to death Beaten to death Starvation Disease Dehydration Frozen to death Cremation rooms WARNING: NEXT FEW IMAGES ARE VERY GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING. YOU MAY STEP OUTSIDE OR PUT YOUR HEAD ON YOUR DESK IF NEED BE.

23. REALITIES OF THE CAMP VICTIMS

25. MASS GRAVES AND CREMATORIUMS

26. MAPS OF CAMPS BY THE END OF WWII

27. IMPACT OF THE HOLOCAUST “Never again” – “Niemals vergessen” 1945-1946: Nuremberg Trials Punishment of high-ranking Nazi officials “We were brainwashed.” “We were just following orders.” Milgram experiment (1963) Many Nazi leaders and officials escaped to South America (Argentina and Patagonia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KULkl394hQ Creation of Israel from the UN

28. Vergangenheitsbewältigung “Struggling to come to terms with the past” – “past consciousness” : a beautiful and terrible struggle Germans are scared to be nationalistic – denazification post WWII No flags (minus soccer, but even that’s a struggle for some) Education in schools over the history Made to feel shame over what happened in their past Reconciliation with Jews Memorials In Vienna, two flak towers have been converted – one into an aquarium, one into an art museum A school in Mauthausen took one of the washing tubs and made it into a flower bed… Reminders in all the main cities

29. MEMORIALS

30. CLOSING With a partner, discuss the following: Do you think something like the Holocaust could happen today? Why or why not? Compare and contrast how all Germans view their war crimes to how Americans relate to the slaughter of millions of Native Americans. Why is there a difference? Is it better to be harmed or to harm? Let’s talk about psychology of the Holocaust What was the role of passive resisters during the Holocaust? Why were they not helping?