The Holocaust In Germany

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Holocaust 12 June. 2010 The Holocaust Following the end of World War I, Germany was disgraced by their defeat. They were forced to admit their guilt for the war, they lost territory, and they had to decrease their armed forces. Since the German empire was in ruins, a new government was formed and, as most new governments are, it was unstable. The conditions in Germany and the world made it possible for Adolf Hitler to rise to power. The New York stock market crash in 1929 not only affected the United States but led to a worldwide depression. The damaged economy and job loss in Germany accentuated the differences between the classes in German society. According to the Jewish Virtual Library website, the beginning of the Holocaust…show more content…
The Germany that sat by quietly and even assisted with the Holocaust was not fashioned in 1930. It took centuries for the discrimination and hatred against the Jews to formulate into such horrific actions. According to one source, “it all began in the medieval kingdoms that superseded the Roman Empire” (Dwork and Pelt 5). During the middle ages, the Catholic Church was acknowledged as a stable foundation of authority, but at the same time sought after drastic change. The Church’s new changes incited a series of battles against Muslims in the Middle East. However, “the Jews sat in an uncomfortable middle” (Dwork and Pelt 5). The co-existence between the Jews and the Christians was sometimes characterized with bloodshed and an intense dislike, but they co-existed nonetheless. Christians would prevent Jews from attempting to merge into the Christian culture and the Jews would set up divisions with systems of religious regulations. The Catholic Church and its leadership, Pope Pius XII did little to publically intervene on behalf of the Jews. According to Shira Schoenberg of the Jewish Virtual Library, the Pope did not speak out…show more content…
Putting yourself in the shoes of Josef Sher (figure 3), Jewish holocaust survivor would help you to understand the story of fear and uncertainty that came with being a Jew during the era of Nazi Germany. After being thrown in a cattle car by German soldiers, Sher was then sent to a town called Czestochowa. “Out of the 1,000 young men who went there, only 3 survived. I am one of the 3” (Sher). However, Sher would exclaim that he was one of the ones.” Sher was separated from his pregnant wife who also survived the concentration camps, but they were later coincidently reunited. After Sher and his wife crawled their way through the “iron curtain” into U.S. occupied Germany, Mr. and Mrs. Sher made their way to New Orleans, Louisiana by ship where they lived with their newborn son. Showing his patriotism and love for his great country, Sher cries, “Whenever I hear singing, “God Bless America” I have to repeat several times: God bless America. That’s freedom. Nobody is going to bother me here anymore”
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