The purpose was to achieve “racial purity” of the “Aryan Race” and the Nazi's idea was to target the Jews, which were considered as the most “inferior race” of all. Scientific racism became popular near the end of the 19th century in Europe and influenced the pan-Germanism movement. Adolf Hitler lived in Vienna and became exposed to anti-Semitic and racist literature.
Between 1935 and 1936 persecution of the Jews increased. In May 1935 Jews were not allowed to join Wehrmacht or the army and in the same year anti-Semitic propaganda began to appear in restaurants and shops. The Nuremberg Laws were passed in Nuremberg on September 15, 1935 “Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor” was passed, which disallowed marriage between a Jew and Gentile. About the same time the “Reich Citizenship Law” was passed and then was reinforced in November by a decree, stating that all Jews, including quarter and half Jews were no longer considered citizens of their own country. That meant that Jews no longer had citizen rights, like the right to vote.
Hans Globke was attributed to the drafting of the Nuremberg Race Laws.
In the year 1936, Jews were not allowed to have professional jobs which prevented them from having any influence in politics, higher education, education and industrial work. Nothing was able to stop the anti-Jewish actions that eventually spread across the Nazi-Germany based economy. Between the years 1937 and 1938 new laws were passed and the segregation of the Jews were official. On September 30, 1938 “Aryan” doctors were only allowed to treat “Aryan” patients. Jews were banned from being doctors or having any professional job. On August 17, the Jews had to include “Sarah” (females) or “Israel” (males) and the letter J was now on their passports. Jewish children were banned from public schools by November 15. In April 1939 nearly all the Jewish companies had collapsed under financial pressure or the government convinced them to sell out.
The totalitarian commands that Hitler had on Germany let him control the actions of the SS and the army. On the evening of November 9 the SS performed The Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht). Jewish stores and shops were vandalized and heavily damaged. Around 100 Jews were killed and another 20,000 were captured and sent to concentration camps. The Jews were forced to pay back the damages. The fine was one billion RM and was paid by taking 20% of every Jew's property and belongings.
Although the laws were mainly directed at the Jews, other “non-Aryans” were also subjected to the law. The actual definition of “Aryans” was imprecise and unclear, but overtime was clarified in executive and judicial decisions. Jews by their definition were not “Aryans” because of their Semitic origin. Most Europeans were considered to be Aryan but “Indo-European”. Some other groups of people include Chinese, East Indian, Arab/Algerian, and Latin Americans.
