The Nuremberg laws, displayed how divisive and how utterly evil Nazi Germany had truly become. The Aryans of Germany had become infatuated with the idea of having a pure racial state. As well, with eliminating any Jewish Influence that has become a blockade in their goal of racial purity. In order to accomplish their goal through “war and extermination” laws were created that would alter history as we know it. Through losing citizenship and many other rights, German Jews or any person with relation to any Jew had been minimize to practically “animals” as Hitler’s diabolical plan came to existing and began to expand it spelled the beginning of the end for many.
In September 1935, Adolf Hitler felt that the time was now for more restrictions on Germany’s Jews. Policies and regulations needed to be clarified, Nazi leaders wanted to show that they were operating within the framework of the law not just through cruel violence and wanted to truly define what a Jew was. With very little time before the Nuremberg Party Rally, Hitler gathered a group of his associates in order to “formulate the legal language of the laws” in other words translating racial ideology into law with very little time remaining (“Noakes and Pridham, 1974”). Hitler’s need for a rival, an opposition was a major reason why the two Nuremberg laws were initiated. On September 15th, 1935 a day that would live in infamy, the institualization of the Nuremberg laws came to be.
After the new laws were approved by the Nazi Party, The first law Reichsbürgergesetz (Law of the Reich Citizen) was made in order to take away from Jews their Reich Citizenship. Under the law they would be known as “subjects of the state” Only Germans or People of kindred or similar blood and also those who through behavior, shows desire and shows that he is fit to serve the German People and the Reich would be recognized as citizens. While the second law, the Gesetz zum Schutze des Deutschen Blutes und der Deutschen Ehre (The law for Protection of German Blood and German Honour) banned marriage or sexual relations between Jews and German Citizens or related blood. Under these laws, Jews were forbidden from employing in domestic service Women of German blood or of Kindred blood who are under 45 years of age. Along with that also came that Jews were no longer allowed to fly the German flag (“Berenbaum, 2018”).
Hitler’s deception would go on full display after these laws were implemented. As he tried to subtly let the world around him know that what he was doing in Germany was more than okay. Hitler claimed, that these laws would actually be beneficial for the Jews because it would create “a level ground where the German people would find a tolerable relation with the Jewish people”. An extremely misleading statement that was far from the truth of what his true goal was which was to exclude and expel Jews from Germany. Hitler believed that if this situation would to remain that he would revisit the laws again, However, seeing the way Hitler operates, the Nuremberg laws just seemed as a prelude for what was to come (“Noakes and Pridham, 1974”).
As the Nuremberg laws were beginning to take effect on German Society more requirements and clarity were added. On October 18, 1935, New marriage requirements were instituted to the laws. The law now required all potential marriage partners to obtain a certificate of “fitness” to marry. Basically what this certification would do would be refusing those who suffer from contagious diseases and hereditary illnesses from getting married under the Nuremberg laws. With this you can see that Hitler was beginning to do which was to look past jews and into what he considered to be other “flaws and issues” in society. In order to achieve racial purity he would also consider removing some of “his own” (“Encyclopedia.ushmm.org 2018”).
On November 14th, 1935, the First Supplementary Decree would begin to clarify more and more what the Nuremberg laws were trying to execute. It would begin to clear any confusion about “What makes a Jew” and marriage requirements that were enforced. One of 13 ordinances explained these laws, it defined jews as anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent. It was as followed, A full Jew was anyone with three Jewish Grandparents, “A Mischlinge” were basically the part-Jews and divided into two degrees. First degree Mischlinge were people who had two Jewish Grandparents but did no practice the religion itself and weren’t married to anyone Jewish. While, A Second degree Mischlinge was anyone who had only one Jewish grandparent (“Berenbaum, 2018”) The articles in the decree would continue to clarify segregation against the Jews. For example, Article 2 speaks that “Only Reich Citizens can exercise the right to vote and have the right to hold public office” Jews were already secondary beings in society now they were offically voiceless (“My Jewish Learning, 2018”). As the segregation would continue it wasn’t long before Jewish passports were stamped with a red “J” which signified “Jew” the situation would grower deeper as Jews would be forced to adopt Jewish names against their will (“Berenbaum, 2018”). With the way society had become it became nearly impossible to hide the fact that you were Jewish. It was the Nazi’s way of herding them like animals and making their jobs that much easier.