The Holocaust The Literature Anti-Semitism : A Brief History l Definition: prejudice against Jews Social, economic, and political discrimination l In the early Roman empire it was only very rarely that a Jew was granted Roman citizenship Anti-Semitism : A Brief History l Early Christians blamed all Jews for the crucifiction of Christ l Jews were labled as Christ Killers l Label persisted for centuries l Officially repudiated by Vatican II Council in 1964 Pogroms l Prejudice against Jews persisted throughout Europe l Local communities often persecuted Jews The Inquisition l 15th Century Spain put Jews on trialtrial l Jews were forced to convert to Christianity expelled killed Ghetto Laws--1800s l Jews were forced to live in walled off sections of cities l Jews were required to wear badges identifying them as Jews l Jews could not own property or hold public office Early 1900s l The Rise of Nationalism Unity created by demonizing a common enemy l PsuedoScience Supposedly Scientific theories proving Jews and other minorities were inferior to whites Stephen Jay Goulds reanalysis of skull volume data A Long History Hitler did not invent the wheel! l Hitler based his popular support on these centuries of prejudice l His genius was to guide and intensify this prejudice A Stunning Fact: l 6 million Jews were killed in less than ten years during Hitlers reign... l more than in all of the centuries of anti-semitism that preceded it! Nazi Anti-Semitism l Jewish/Non-Jewish marriage forbidden l Jewish Property Seized l Concentration Camps Kristallnacht, things take an uglier turn l Jewish conspiracy blamed for assassination of minor German official l 7500 Jewish businesses destroyed l 237 Synagogues were burned l 26,000 Jews were arrested, many beaten, 91 died l Jews were fined $400 million for damage done to their own property A Synagogue burns that awful night The Final Solution l Auschwitz and the Death Camps... l Factories designed to kill the largest number of people possible as cheaply as possible and as fast as possible Methods of Extermination: l Cyanide Gas l Carbon Monoxide Gas l Machine Guns l Flamethrowers l Lethal Injections l Medical Experiments Jewish prisoner submerged in ice water The Ovens The gruesome attempt to hide the evidence The Literature of the Holocaust The stories of the survivors Lest We Forget! end