Ethnic minorities, 1918-33

Question 1

Article 113

Answer 1

Groups that spoke a different language could not be stopped from doing so or practicing their national identity – not always implemented a regional level as it was federal law

Question 2

Population of Jews in 1918 and 1933

Answer 2

1918 - 1%

1933 - 0.76%

Many lived in Berlin – ‘Jew Berlin’

Question 3

Attitudes towards Jewish people

Answer 3

• Some saw Judaism as a race, not a religion, and only accepted those who renounced Judaism.
• Some were prominent politicians like Rathenau
• this led to criticism for appointing jews
• However, Organisation Consul (a right wing group) assassinated Rathenau and other leaders.
• The government reacted by banning anti-semitic groups like the German People’s Offensive and Defensive Alliance
• They had a following of 25,000 in 1919 and 170,000 in 1923 when it disbanded
• Many joined the Nazi party after
• Judges were also less lenient towards jews and were anti-semitic themselves. This also linked with their anti-communist stance, as the two were somewhat intertwined after WW1.
• Jews were scapegoated in times of economic hardship, like the depression and inflation

Question 4

Economic status of Jews

Answer 4

Some were quite successful:

• 75% of jews were in professional occupation
• Compared to 25% of the rest of the population
  80% of department store business was owned by jews
• 40% of Germany’s textiles was jewish-owned

However:

• 1% were senior bankers, and received a lot of media attention
• Very few jews in chemical and high tech industries
• 20% were impoverished
• Many in the middle class were devastated after the hyperinflation and small businesses were hit hard by big businesses especially through cartels.

Question 5

Population of black people in the period

Answer 5

3,000, mostly from former colonies

Question 6

Status of black people

Answer 6

There was a high demand for american black swing and jazz musicians during the 20s. They could live and work in germany for more pay and lower living costs. Also, America was enforcing segregation.

But, most people believed that Germans had a right to travel to their colonies, because they had brought order and paradise, but Africans from those colonies were not allowed to come to Germany because they brought nothing of value. So, Africans from former colonies were not granted citizenship, so could not vote or get financial aid.

Question 7

General attitudes towards black people

Answer 7

• Black americans had more freedom and a higher status in Germany than the US, so coming to Germany was attractive. they were treated rather with curiosity than hostility

Question 8

Nationalist attitudes to black people

Answer 8

• Nationalists were hostile. They had seen black French troops during the first world war, and some regarded then as ‘black shame’. Troops from madagascar and senegal on the side of France had occupied the Rhineland. Some argued that they had deliberately sent black troops to humiliate a superior white nation
• Nationalists accused troops of rape in the Rhineland and the Ruhr in 1923, but there was no proof of this. The children were called ‘Rhineland bastards’
• They also campaigned against jazz musicians. They believed it led to degeneracy, while Wagner and Beethoven would lead to civilised best.