The Nuremberg Laws were a set of legislative measures enacted by the government of Nazi Germany on September 15, 1935, during the annual Nuremberg Rally. These laws were a pivotal part of the Nazi regime's systematic persecution of the Jewish population in Germany, stripping Jews of their citizenship rights and imposing severe racial segregation.
Key Provisions of the Nuremberg Laws
- Reich Citizenship Law - This law established the basis for the exclusion of Jews from citizenship. Under this law, only individuals of "German or kindred blood" could be citizens. Jews were classified as subjects without citizenship rights.
- Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour - This law prohibited marriages and extramarital intercourse between Jews and Germans, along with preventing Jews from employing German women under 45 years old as domestic servants.
Impact and Enforcement
The enforcement of these laws was immediate and harsh. They were:
- Used to identify Jews through mandatory registration and identification documents.
- Applied retrospectively, affecting marriages and relationships formed before the laws were enacted.
- Extended through additional decrees and regulations over time, further restricting Jewish rights and freedoms.
These laws were the legal foundation for the Holocaust, as they provided a legal framework for the exclusion and eventual extermination of Jews. They were part of a broader strategy to segregate Jews from German society, which included:
- Exclusion from public facilities, schools, and professional life.
- Mandatory wearing of the Yellow Star badge for identification.
- Systematic theft of Jewish property through Aryanization.
International Reaction
While the Nuremberg Laws were met with international condemnation, the reaction was varied:
- Some countries and organizations protested, but effective international action was limited.
- The laws were a topic at the Evian Conference in 1938, where efforts to address the refugee crisis were largely ineffective.
Legacy
The Nuremberg Laws were repealed after World War II by the Allied forces during the occupation of Germany. They are now considered a stark example of state-sponsored racial discrimination and were cited during the Nuremberg Trials as evidence of the criminal nature of the Nazi regime.
External Links
Related Topics