The Nuremberg laws

What event gave Hitler confidence to increase pressure on German Jews in 1935?

The passing of the Enabling Act and being anointed as The Führer.

Why did Hitler still use the Reichstag to pass laws even though he had power?

To make it look like legal procedures were followed and that he wasn’t a dictator.

When were the Nuremberg Laws announced?

15th September 1935, during the Nazi Party rallies in Nuremberg.

What were the two main Nuremberg Laws?

The Law of the Reich Citizen and The Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour.

What did the Law of the Reich Citizen state?

Only people of “German blood” could be legal German citizens.

What groups lost citizenship under the Law of the Reich Citizen?

Jews, gypsies, blacks, and others considered non-Aryan.

What were Jews no longer allowed to do under the Reich Citizenship Law?

Call themselves German, hold a valid German passport, vote in elections, or get a visa to leave Germany.

What symbol was stamped on Jewish passports?

The letter J.

What did the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour ban?

Marriages and sexual relations between Jews and Germans, and Jews employing German women under 45.

What else were Jews banned from doing under the Law for Protection of German Blood and Honour?

Carrying or waving the German national flag.

What happened to Jews who violated the Nuremberg Laws?

They could be punished with a prison sentence.

Why did the Nuremberg Laws create legal confusion in 1935?

Because it was unclear how to define “who is a Jew” under German law.

How did the Nazis resolve the confusion about defining Jews?

By passing the First Regulation to the Reich Citizenship Law in November 1935.

According to the amendment, who was considered a Jew?

Anyone descended from at least 3 Jewish grandparents or 2 Jewish parents, or born from a mixed marriage or extramarital relationship with a Jew after July 31, 1936.

What impact did the Nuremberg Laws have on German society?

They made it legal to discriminate against Jews and created a clear legal divide between Jews and Germans.

How did the Nuremberg Laws affect ordinary Germans’ behavior?

They felt legally justified in expressing anti-Semitic beliefs and persecuting Jews openly.

What was one major consequence of the Nuremberg Laws for Jews in Germany?

They were fully excluded from mainstream German society, and persecution against them became state-sanctioned.