- Persecution of Political Opponents and Minorities in Nazi Germany
- Banning of Political Parties Under Nazi Rule
- Persecution of Jews
- Persecution of Sinti and Roma
- Persecution of Homosexuals
- Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Persecution of the Disabled and the Sick
- Persecution of Churches and Religious Groups
- Judiciary and Police as Instruments of Persecution
- Dehumanization Through Animal Comparisons
- Resistance and Opposition in Nazi Germany
- Lack of Denazification – Nazis in Bundestag and State Parliament Parties
- Lessons from the Political Persecution in Nazi Germany
Persecution of Political Opponents and Minorities in Nazi Germany
The Nazis systematically targeted political opponents, particularly members of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), and other left-wing groups:
Measures
- Arrests and internment in concentration camps (e.g., Dachau, the first concentration camp, was established in 1933 for political prisoners).
- Banning of opposition parties and trade unions, torture, and murder of activists.
Examples
Many Social Democrats and trade unionists fled into exile or were imprisoned. Ernst Thälmann, chairman of the KPD, was arrested in 1933 and murdered in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944.
Banning of Political Parties Under Nazi Rule
After seizing power in January 1933, the Nazis under Adolf Hitler systematically implemented party bans to monopolize the political system and establish a one-party state. Their goal was the complete elimination of political opponents and the establishment of the NSDAP as the sole state party.
Ban of the KPD (Communist Party of Germany)
Shortly after the Reichstag fire on February 27, 1933, the KPD was effectively outlawed under the “Reichstag Fire Decree.” This emergency decree suspended key civil liberties and enabled the persecution and imprisonment of communists. The KPD was branded as “anti-state,” and its representatives were barred from parliamentary activity.
Ban of the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany)
On June 22, 1933, Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick declared the SPD a “subversive and anti-state organization” and banned it. As the last major democratic party to openly oppose the Nazi regime, many of its members were arrested, tortured, or sent to concentration camps. Part of the SPD leadership fled into exile, from where they continued resistance efforts.
Forced Dissolution of Other Parties
Under Nazi pressure, several other parties “voluntarily” dissolved between June and July 1933, including:
- Zentrumspartei (Catholic Centre Party)
- Deutsche Volkspartei (DVP) (German People’s Party)
- Deutsche Staatspartei (German State Party)
- Bayerische Volkspartei (BVP) (Bavarian People’s Party)
These dissolutions were often driven by fear of repression and attempts to avoid persecution.
Law Against the Formation of New Parties (July 14, 1933)
This law formally established the one-party dictatorship, consisting of two key provisions:
- “The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) constitutes the only political party in Germany.”
- “Anyone who attempts to maintain the organizational structure of another political party or to form a new party will be punished with prison (6 months to 3 years) or penitentiary (up to 3 years).”
This law criminalized all political opposition and remained in force until September 20, 1945, when it was repealed by Allied Control Council Law No. 1.
Law to Secure the Unity of Party and State (December 1, 1933)
This decree merged the Nazi Party with the state, declaring the NSDAP the “embodiment of German state ideology.” It granted the party special legal privileges, including its own internal judiciary system for disciplining members.
Conclusion
Through legal repression, terror, and forced dissolutions, the Nazis eliminated all political opposition within months, cementing their totalitarian one-party rule. These measures marked the end of democracy in Germany until 1945.
Persecution of Jews
The persecution of Jews was a core component of Nazi ideology. It began with discrimination and escalated into the Holocaust – the systematic genocide of six million Jews:
Measures
- Nuremberg Laws (1935): Stripped Jews of citizenship and banned intermarriage.
- Kristallnacht (November 9–10, 1938): State-sponsored pogroms destroyed Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes.
- Deportations: Jews were forcibly relocated to ghettos and extermination camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Sobibór.
Objective
The complete eradication of Jewish life in Europe (“Final Solution”).
Persecution of Sinti and Roma
Sinti and Roma were stigmatized as “Gypsies” and systematically persecuted in Nazi Germany:
Measures of Persecution
- Forced sterilizations
- Deportation to concentration camps
- Mass murder as part of the Porajmos (the genocide of Sinti and Roma)
Victim Count: An estimated 220,000 to 500,000 Sinti and Roma were murdered.
Persecution of Homosexuals
Homosexual men were persecuted under Paragraph 175 of the Criminal Code:
Measures: Arrests, internment in concentration camps, forced sterilizations, and medical experiments.
Victim Count: Around 50,000 convicted; thousands died in camps.
Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses were persecuted for refusing military service and the Hitler salute:
Measures: Arrests, internment in concentration camps, executions, and forced labor.
Victim Count: Around 1,200 murdered.
Persecution of the Disabled and the Sick
Under the “T4 Euthanasia Program,” people with disabilities and mental illnesses were murdered:
Measures: Forced sterilizations; mass killings in euthanasia centers.
Victim Count: Around 200,000 killed.
Persecution of Churches and Religious Groups
The Nazis sought to control or eliminate churches:
Measures:
- Persecution of members of the Confessing Church, which resisted Nazi control of Protestant churches.
- Arrests of regime-critical clergy (e.g., Martin Niemöller).
- Closure of monasteries and religious institutions.
Judiciary and Police as Instruments of Persecution
Gestapo: The secret state police responsible for persecuting political opponents.
SS: Operated concentration and extermination camps.
Judiciary: Political trials and special courts often sentenced opponents to death.
Dehumanization Through Animal Comparisons
Dehumanization through animal comparisons was a key Nazi propaganda tool to justify violence against Jews and other groups.
Jews as “Rats” and “Parasites”:
The propaganda film The Eternal Jew (1940) compared Jews to rats, describing them as “cunning, cowardly, and cruel.”
Other Animal Comparisons in Nazi Propaganda:
- Snakes: Symbolized treachery.
- Jackals: Represented cowardice and scavenging.
Biological Language and the “Volkskörper” (National Body):
The Nazis used biological metaphors to frame society as an organism “infected” by “parasites” (Jews), legitimizing their extermination.
Animal Welfare as an Antisemitic Tool:
In 1933, kosher slaughter (shechita) was banned under the guise of animal welfare, fueling antisemitism.
Goal of Dehumanization:
Portraying victims as subhuman made their murder seem like a “cleansing” act, paving the way for the Holocaust.
Resistance and Opposition in Nazi Germany
Despite brutal repression, resistance persisted:
Individuals: Oskar Schindler and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who defied the regime..
White Rose: A student group (e.g., Sophie and Hans Scholl) distributed anti-Nazi leaflets.
July 20, 1944 Plot: Claus von Stauffenberg’s failed assassination attempt on Hitler.
Lack of Denazification – Nazis in Bundestag and State Parliament Parties
Post-war denazification aimed to remove former Nazis from power but was inconsistently enforced. Many ex-Nazis regained influence in major parties:
AfD, BSW, Free Voters: No known Nazi ideologues or members with Nazi pasts.
FDP: Had a high proportion of ex-Nazis in the 1950s (e.g., Theodor Oberländer).
CDU/CSU: Included former NSDAP members like Hans Globke (co-author of Nuremberg Laws) and Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger.
SPD: Fewer ex-Nazis but some with Nazi-era involvement.
The Left (formerly SED): Despite its anti-fascist stance, the East German SED included former Nazis (e.g., Kurt Nier).
Lessons from the Political Persecution in Nazi Germany
The EU was founded to prevent future wars, yet current EU-Russia tensions in Ukraine risk conflict escalation.
Addressing Democratic Deficits
The Weimar Republic failed partly due to weak defenses against anti-democratic forces.
Current issues: Exclusion of AfD voters (25% of electorate), suppression of free speech (e.g., §188 StGB), and state-funded NGOs targeting opposition.
Courage and Individual Responsibility
Resistance figures like the White Rose and Bonhoeffer show the impact of defiance.
Education and Awareness
Combating extremism requires political education.
Protecting Minorities and Human Rights
The Holocaust underscores the need to defend minority rights and reject discrimination (e.g., against the unvaccinated during COVID-19).
European Cooperation as a Peace Project
The EU was founded to prevent future wars, yet current EU-Russia tensions in Ukraine risk conflict escalation.