Were Jewish people living in Germany during WWII Germans?
Being Jewish connotes both religious and racial/ethnic attributes. A Jew is a person who believes in the fundamentals of Judaism; but, a Jew is also someone who genetically is of the Jewish People. There are many American Jews. These are Jews in the two senses explained above. But, these Jews are Americans, first and foremost. They are US citizens. So, now to come to your question: “Were Jewish people living in Germany during WWII Germans?” They answer, which should now be self evident, is yes. Jews living in Germany during the 1930s were German citizens. Jews living in Austria during the 1930s were Austrian citizens. In many cases, they proudly served in the armed forces and defined their identities as German (or Austrian) first, Jew second. My grandfather was an officer in the Austrian Army during WWI. The national pride that came with service was one of the factors which blinded him and many other Jews to the horrors that awaited them if they remained. “After all, how could the nati
” They answer, which should now be self evident, is yes. Jews living in Germany during the 1930s were German citizens. Jews living in Austria during the 1930s were Austrian citizens. In many cases, they proudly served in the armed forces and defined their identities as German (or Austrian) first, Jew second. My grandfather was an officer in the Austrian Army during WWI. The national pride that came with service was one of the factors which blinded him and many other Jews to the horrors that awaited them if they remained. “After all, how could the nation turn on us?” “We put our lives on the line for the Fatherland.” I am fairly certain my grandfather was probably plagued by similar questions as he was beaten and transported to Dachau and then Buchenwald. Some of these Jews were poor, living in villages, like my German cousin, of blessed memory. Others were middle class or rich. She survived because her parents shipped her off to England to escape the National Socialists (Nazis) by work
