The Holocaust and Eugenics: Understanding the Dark History
Lesson 5—The Holocaust
and Eugenics
The Holocaust and Eugenics
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
E
u
g
e
n
i
c
s
•
Write down what you think the word “Eugenics”
means
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
E
u
g
e
n
i
c
s
—
W
h
a
t
i
s
E
u
g
e
n
i
c
s
?
•
Scientific racism
•
Ethnic cleansing
•
Social hygiene
•
An attempt to create a “pure” white race through forced sterilization
and population control. The focus was to keep racialised people,
people with disabilities, religious minorities, and the economically
disadvantaged, from procreating.
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
E
u
g
e
n
i
c
s
Where do you think Eugenics was practiced?
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
E
u
g
e
n
i
c
s
—
W
h
e
r
e
w
a
s
i
t
P
r
a
c
t
i
s
e
d
?
•
Eugenics was practiced all over the world, including all
over Europe, European colonies, Australia, Canada,
and the United States.
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
E
u
g
e
n
i
c
s
—
P
r
e
-
W
W
I
I
G
e
r
m
a
n
y
•
1934 Sterilization Laws for people with disabilities in Germany
•
1939 Mass killing of people with disabilities (children and adults who
were institutionalised)
•
Mass sterilization of Jews, Roma, Poles, and other communities that
were not racially “pure”
•
A focus on boosting the “Aryan” population
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
A
n
t
i
-
S
e
m
i
t
i
s
m
•
Anti-Semitism had been common for hundreds of years before Hitler
took power
•
Anti-Semitism was common in many other countries including other
parts of Europe, European colonies, Canada, and the United States
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
A
n
t
i
-
S
e
m
i
t
i
s
m
—
P
r
e
-
W
W
I
I
G
e
r
m
a
n
L
a
w
•
Nuremberg Race Laws 1935
Racial policies enacted
: Segregation between “Aryans” and Jewish people,
including segregation in public areas. Jewish people forced to carry identity
cards.
Citizenship laws enacted:
Defined who was German (and therefore a citizen
of Germany), and who was Jewish (regardless of if they were religious or
not), and therefore ineligible for citizenship; Jewish people defined as a race,
Sexual relationships between those categorised as German and those
categorised as Jewish were made illegal; Black people and Roma people were
subjected to same laws as Jewish people
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
•
Kristallnacht (1938)– the destruction of Jewish businesses,
Synagogues, the rounding up of Jewish men. This was the first mass
incarceration of Jewish people by Nazis based simply on their
religion/ethnicity
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
Anti-Semitism
—Pre-WWII German Law
WWII Labour and Extermination Camps
•
High numbers of Jewish, Roma, Poles, and Soviet Prisoners of
War were targeted for deportation, forced labour, and death
•
Extermination camps where mass murder occurred
•
Forced labour: those who could not work well were murdered
or deported; Prisoners had to work 10-12 hours a day in harsh
conditions
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
•
Medical experiments (testing medication, malaria and tuberculosis
experiments, testing drinking water, exposure to extreme
temperatures, experiments of mass sterilization)
•
Death marches (people were shot who could not continue)
•
During WWII, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Vichy
France, and Croatia (all allied with Germany) enacted similar anti-
Jewish legislation
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
WWII Labour and Extermination Camps
Thoughts about this act of Genocide
•
Anti-Semitism and eugenics were practiced in many different
countries, even colonial violence, as we’ve learned, included acts of
genocide and eugenics.
•
Why do you think there is generally a focus on Germany and the
Holocaust as separate from these other acts of violence?
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
B
i
b
l
i
o
g
r
a
p
h
y
•
Blesold, Horst.
Crying Hands: Eugenics and Deaf People in Nazi
Germany.
Gallaudet University Press, 1999.
•
Conroy, Melvyn.
Nazi Eugenics: Precursors, Policy, Aftermath
.
Columbia University Press, 2017.
•
“Learn about the Holocaust.”
United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum.
https://www.ushmm.org/
. Accessed 18 Dec., 2018.
•
Welkart, R.
Hitler’s Ethic: The Nazi Pursuit of Evolutionary Progress
.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
(c) IHRC
www.genocidememorialday.org.uk
gmd@ihrc.org
The history of the Holocaust and eugenics delves into the sinister practices of forced sterilization, population control, and racial discrimination that occurred before WWII in various parts of the world, including Germany. Explore the origins and impacts of eugenics, as well as the rise of anti-Semitism leading up to WWII.
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Presentation Transcript
Lesson 5The Holocaust and Eugenics The Holocaust and Eugenics (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Eugenics Eugenics Write down what you think the word Eugenics means (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Eugenics Eugenics What is Eugenics? Scientific racism Ethnic cleansing Social hygiene An attempt to create a pure white race through forced sterilization and population control. The focus was to keep racialised people, people with disabilities, religious minorities, and the economically disadvantaged, from procreating. (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Eugenics Eugenics Where do you think Eugenics was practiced? (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Eugenics Eugenics Where was it Practised? Eugenics was practiced all over the world, including all over Europe, European colonies, Australia, Canada, and the United States. (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Eugenics Eugenics Pre-WWII Germany 1934 Sterilization Laws for people with disabilities in Germany 1939 Mass killing of people with disabilities (children and adults who were institutionalised) Mass sterilization of Jews, Roma, Poles, and other communities that were not racially pure A focus on boosting the Aryan population (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Anti Anti- -Semitism Semitism Anti-Semitism had been common for hundreds of years before Hitler took power Anti-Semitism was common in many other countries including other parts of Europe, European colonies, Canada, and the United States (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Anti Anti- -Semitism Semitism Pre-WWII German Law Nuremberg Race Laws 1935 Racial policies enacted: Segregation between Aryans and Jewish people, including segregation in public areas. Jewish people forced to carry identity cards. Citizenship laws enacted: Defined who was German (and therefore a citizen of Germany), and who was Jewish (regardless of if they were religious or not), and therefore ineligible for citizenship; Jewish people defined as a race, Sexual relationships between those categorised as German and those categorised as Jewish were made illegal; Black people and Roma people were subjected to same laws as Jewish people (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Anti-SemitismPre-WWII German Law Kristallnacht (1938) the destruction of Jewish businesses, Synagogues, the rounding up of Jewish men. This was the first mass incarceration of Jewish people by Nazis based simply on their religion/ethnicity (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
WWII Labour and Extermination Camps High numbers of Jewish, Roma, Poles, and Soviet Prisoners of War were targeted for deportation, forced labour, and death Extermination camps where mass murder occurred Forced labour: those who could not work well were murdered or deported; Prisoners had to work 10-12 hours a day in harsh conditions (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
WWII Labour and Extermination Camps Medical experiments (testing medication, malaria and tuberculosis experiments, testing drinking water, exposure to extreme temperatures, experiments of mass sterilization) Death marches (people were shot who could not continue) During WWII, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Vichy France, and Croatia (all allied with Germany) enacted similar anti- Jewish legislation (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Thoughts about this act of Genocide Anti-Semitism and eugenics were practiced in many different countries, even colonial violence, as we ve learned, included acts of genocide and eugenics. Why do you think there is generally a focus on Germany and the Holocaust as separate from these other acts of violence? (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
Bibliography Blesold, Horst. Crying Hands: Eugenics and Deaf People in Nazi Germany. Gallaudet University Press, 1999. Conroy, Melvyn. Nazi Eugenics: Precursors, Policy, Aftermath. Columbia University Press, 2017. Learn about the Holocaust. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. https://www.ushmm.org/. Accessed 18 Dec., 2018. Welkart, R. Hitler s Ethic: The Nazi Pursuit of Evolutionary Progress. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. (c) IHRC www.genocidememorialday.org.uk gmd@ihrc.org
