When Hitler was appointed Reich Chancellor in 1933, the Nazi regime gradually deprived Jews of their civil rights. Daily harassment, anti-Jewish measures, and increasing violence pushed them to the margins of society. The state authorities robbed Jews of their assets and drove them to emigrate. Many Jews hoped that things would change and waited to see what would happen. However, the violent excesses of Kristallnacht (the November Pogrom) in November 1938 convinced them to flee. With the start of the war in September 1939, however, emigration became almost impossible. Nazi rule culminated in the mass murder of the European Jews. The Nazis ostracized the Jews through hundreds of decrees and measures. In virtually all areas of life, they introduced rules and regulations that discriminated against and harassed Jews. Authorities often intensified these measures arbitrarily. Persecution in the form of laws contributed to spontaneous acts of violence, and daily life became unbearable for Jews. Below is a sample of the hundreds of laws that both the national and local governments enacted.
APRIL 7, 1933
Jews are forbidden to become lawyers.
APRIL 7, 1933
Jews are removed from the civil service and Jews are banned from teaching in public schools.
APRIL 25, 1933
The proportion of Jewish students in upper secondary schools and universities is subject to restrictions.
APRIL 25, 1933
Jews are prohibited from membership in German sporting and gymnastics associations.
AUGUST 16, 1933
Jews are prohibited from membership in choral societies.
SEPTEMBER 1, 1933
Jews are forbidden to own farms.
MARCH 5, 1934
Jewish actors are no longer permitted to perform outside the Jewish Cultural Federation.
JULY 10, 1935
Jewish youth associations are not permitted to go hiking in groups larger than twenty persons and may not set up camp near non-Jewish residences.
DECEMBER 13, 1935
Jews and their spouses are no longer permitted to practice as physicians.
DECEMBER 21, 1935
Jewish teachers in public schools and scholarly universities, Jewish honorary professors, associate professors and lecturers, Jewish managing physicians at public and free nonprofit hospitals, and medical examiners shall be dismissed.
APRIL 3, 1936
Jews and persons married to Jews are not permitted to work as veterinarians.
DECEMBER 30, 1937
All Jewish teachers who are employed at Jewish schools as civil servants pending a further decision shall forfeit their civil servant status but may continue working there.
JANUARY 1, 1938
Jews are prohibited from membership in the German Red Cross.
AUGUST 17, 1938
Jews who lack a “Jewish” first name must add the middle name of “Israel” or “Sara,” effective 1 January, 1939.
SEPTEMBER 27, 1938
Jews are no longer permitted to work as lawyers. In exceptional cases, they are permitted to represent Jewish clients using the designation “consultant.”
OCTOBER 5, 1938
All passports issued for German Jews shall be collected and marked with a “J.”
OCTOBER 6, 1938
Jewish pupils are barred from taking music lessons; Jewish musicians are barred from the Reich Chamber of Music.
NOVEMBER 10, 1938
Jews who own weapons shall be sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment in a concentration camp.
NOVEMBER 11, 1938
Jews are prohibited from purchasing, possessing, or carrying firearms, bludgeons, or cutting weapons. Such weapons, including ammunition, shall be forfeited immediately without compensation.
NOVEMBER 12, 1938
Jews are prohibited from attending theaters, cinemas, concerts, or exhibitions.
NOVEMBER 12, 1938
Jews are no longer permitted to operate retail enterprises, craft businesses, or cooperatives.
NOVEMBER 15, 1938
Jewish pupils are prohibited from attending public schools.
NOVEMBER 23, 1938
All Jews must liquidate their retail stores or sell them to non-Jews.
DECEMBER 3, 1938
Jews may no longer own or operate motor vehicles.
DECEMBER 3, 1938
Jews must sell their landholdings, deposit their bonds and securities in a currency bank, and are permitted neither to purchase nor sell jewels, precious metals, or works of art.
DECEMBER 8, 1938
Dismissed Jewish professors, lecturers, and scholarly civil servants are prohibited from continuing their academic work privately in universities and libraries.
DECEMBER 9, 1938
Jewish lawyers authorized to work as “consultants” must include the following notice on their signs and stamps: “Authorized only to legally counsel and represent Jews.”
DECEMBER 14, 1938
Jews are prohibited from being the operating managers of their businesses.
MAY 20, 1939
Jews are prohibited from running or working in pharmacies.
JULY 7, 1941
Passports issued to Jews shall be marked with the letter “J” on the first page of the passport cover, in addition to the existing “J” on the first inside page.
SEPTEMBER 1, 1941
Jews aged six and older must wear the Yellow Star and are not permitted to change their place of residence without written permission from the police. When using public transportation, they must remain standing.
FEBRUARY 15, 1942
Jews are prohibited from owning pets.
JUNE 20, 1942
All Jewish schools shall be closed; the instruction of Jewish children is prohibited.
JUNE 26, 1942
Jews are only permitted to shop at specific times and are prohibited from using vending machines.
Source: Berlin Jewish Museum
