The persecution of the Jews began systematically almost as soon as Hitler came to power. The Nazis established many new anti-Jewish laws. These were introduced slowly at first, so that the civilian population would not realise the extent of the Nazi party's anti-Semitism. Below is a chart showing a small selection of the 2,000 Nazi anti-Jewish decrees passed between 1933-1945. It is uncertain whether Hitler planned to murder the Jews when he came to power. Originally it seems he intended to force them out of Germany but this eventually led to a plan to exterminate the Jews.
1933
| Action | Public burning of books by Jews and anti-Nazis Random attacks on Jews and Jewish property Police and the courts no longer protect Jews April boycotts of Jewish shops - for one day, Germans are told not to buy from shops and business owned by Jews SA stand by shops to discourage people from going inside 'Kosher'- ritual slaughter of animals banned Department of Racial Hygiene ('ethnic cleansing') established
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1934
1935
1935-36
Action | - Jews no longer allowed to vote and lose German citizenship
- Benefit payments to large Jewish families stopped
- Jews banned from parks, restaurants and swimming pools
- Jews forbidden to use the German greeting 'Heil Hitler'
- Jews no longer allowed electrical/optical equipment, bicycles, typewriters or records
- Passports for Jews to travel abroad restricted
- Many Jewish students removed from German schools and universities
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1938
Action | - Special identity cards issued to Jews
- Jews excluded from cinema, theatre, concerts, exhibitions, beaches and holiday resorts
- Jews forced to add the names Sarah or Israel to their own
- Kristallnacht (9 November) - a night of terrible violence in Germany. German and Austrian Jews are murdered, synagogues burnt and desecrated and shop windows destroyed. Thousands of Jews are arrested
- Jewish children expelled from German schools
- Jews' passports stamped with a red letter 'J'. Some have passports removed to prevent them leaving the country.
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1939
Action | A central office for Jewish emigration set up Jews evicted from their homes without reason and notice Jews' radios confiscated Jewish curfew established
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1940
Action | - Jews' telephones confiscated
- Jews no longer receive ration cards for clothes
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1941
Action | - Jews over 6 forced to wear a Yellow Star of David with 'Jew' written on it
- Jews Forbidden to use public telephones
- Jews forbidden to keep dogs, cats and birds
- Jews forbidden to leave the country
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1942
Action | - Jews hand over fur coats and woollen items
- Jews not allowed to receive eggs or milk
- Blind or deaf Jews no longer allowed to wear armbands identifying their condition in traffic
- All schools closed to Jewish children
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1943
Action | Continuous deportations |
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