What did ordinary Gemans know about the persecution of the Jews?

Answer 1

The Nazi persecution of the Jews, 'gypsies', Communists, Social Democrats and other opponents of the regime was never a secret. The concentration camps were not a secret, either. After all, the Nazi media boasted that there taking a tough line against these groups ... People knew - though usually they did not know all the details of what happened in camps.

The yellow star, curfews for Jews, bans on their using park benches, public transport, visiting cinemas, cafes and so on was perfectly obvious. The deportation of the German Jews, supposedly for 'resettlement' in Eastern Europe, was also public knowledge.

As for the Holocaust (genocide) it was supposed to be secret, but in practice information leaked. For example, most German soldiers on the Eastern Front had some idea of what was going on behind the front; they sometimes went home on leave and talked ... According to the historian Helga Grebing, writing in 1959, the predominant attitude was 'hear no evil, see no evil': most people had some idea and did not want to know more.

Answer 2

The Nazi persecution of the Jews was open and public. It was announced in the newspapers and on radio. There was nothing secret about it, and non-Jewish Germans could see it in their ordinary everyday lives. The Yellow Star was, after all, highly visible (as it was meant to be). In fact, the persecution of the Jews was well known abroad, and in some major cities in the US there were even anti-German demonstrations ...

The extermination of the Jews - the Holocaust - was supposed to be top secret. However, there is controversy about how much ordinary Germans knew about it.

Answer 3

You've made the classic mistake here, confusing Germans with Non-Jewish Germans, (or Hetereosexual Germans, non-Traveller Germans and so on).

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Persecution was public and perfectly obvious for all to see. After all, if there's a sign saying 'No Jews allowed' it can be read by any literate person. Also, new measures against various groups were published in the press and announced (often gleefully) on radio.

On the other hand, the mass murders of Jews, Roma (gypsies) and others were secret, but many non-victims had some idea of what was going on.

Answer 4

Nazi persecution of the Jews was not a secret. Between 1933 and 1943 the Nazi regime issued about 430 decrees (laws) aimed specifically against the Jews. (See related question below). Nearly all of these measures were gleefully announced on radio and in the press. It was also very well known abroad, too.

What is more difficult to assess is what ordinary Germans knew about the genocide of the Jews (1941 onwards). They knew that Jewish neighbours were disappearing but were told that they were being 'resettled' in Eastern Europe. The actual Holocaust was secret, but some information did get out ... It seems that many Germans took the view 'hear no evil, see no evil'. In other words, they didn't want to know what was really happening.

Answer 5

Germany hid their genocide very well over the course of the war. From the time he came to power, Hitler had been shipping Jews off to "ghettos" saying that there the would live the rest of their lives amongst their own kind. But from there they would be sent to concentration camps or "work camps." The German people had their suspicions so many fled. After the end of the war in 1945, many camps were deserted with the Jewish prisoners still inside. Some of the soldiers at the camps were captured as prisoners, but the Allies were stunned when they found them.

Answer 6

yes, they benefited from it. [Apart from those German people who happened to be Jewish.]