Nazi segregation

1999
united states

Nazi segregation refers to the policies and practices implemented by the Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s, which aimed to create racial purity and maintain social hierarchy. Under Nazi ideology, the Aryan race was believed to be superior, and anyone who did not fit this definition, particularly Jewish people, Roma, disabled individuals, homosexuals, and other marginalized groups, were subjected to systematic discrimination and exclusion.

Nazi segregation was carried out through various means, including the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, which stripped Jews of their citizenship and rights, forbade intermarriage and sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews, and introduced specific symbols to identify Jewish individuals. Jewish people were also excluded from certain professions and institutions, such as schools and universities.

Furthermore, the Nazis established concentration camps and ghettos, where millions of Jews and others deemed undesirable were imprisoned under inhumane conditions. The ultimate aim of Nazi segregation was to isolate and dehumanize these groups, eventually leading to their extermination in the Holocaust.

It is important to note that Nazi segregation and the atrocities committed by the regime are widely condemned today as some of the most heinous acts in history, resulting in the deaths of millions of people and leaving a lasting impact on individuals and societies.

Further reading

Proctor R.N. (1999) "Why did the Nazis have the world's most aggressive anti cancer campaign?", Endeavour, 23(2), pp. 76-79. Elsevier Ltd. DOI: 10.1016/S0160-9327(99)01209-0