Primary Sources: Weimar Society

While no overt violence against Jews took place in Germany in the pre-World War I years (violent campaigns against Jews called pogroms did take place in Russia and Romania), strong currents of Antisemitism existed. German society was dominated by a strong sense of insiders and outsiders and Jews were most often held up as the prime example of "the other." As Jews--who had been equal before the law since 1871--became more successful during the Weimar years in the arts, the press, law, and medicine, hostility toward them rose. While many Jews were also successful in business, they by no means dominated the German economy as their enemies charged, and Jews were generally a middle class population.

Barred from most University positions by social prejudices, many of the most talented Jews conducted their research and published their results through private research institutes. Strong antisemitism was in evidence among many judges, army officers, conservative and radical right–wing politicians, Protestant and Catholic clergy and teachers.

Connection Questions for the Classroom:

Statistics reveal that less than 1 percent of Germany’s population was of Jewish descent. In other parts of Europe the percentage ranged from 10-11 percent in Poland to less than l/2 percent in such countries as Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Yugoslavia. Although a few were rich, most barely eked out a living. Yet throughout Europe, people saw Jews as a powerful and dangerous people. Why the discrepancy between the actual statistics and the misperceptions about Jews? Why might minorities be vulnerable during times of stress?

Use the following documents to explore the topic of antisemitism in the Weimar Republic.

Use the following document to further explore homophobia during the Weimar Republic.

Weimar Germany had a population that was about 65% Protestant, 34% Catholic, and 1% Jewish. After German unification in 1871, the government had strongly favored the two major Protestant Churches, Lutheran and Reformed, which thought of themselves as state-sponsored churches. At the same time, the government had harassed and restricted the Catholic Church. Although German Catholics had only seen restrictions slowly lifted in the pre-World War I period, they nevertheless demonstrated their patriotism in World War I. German Jews, who had faced centuries of persecution and restriction, finally achieved legal equality in 1871. However, legal equality did not translate into social equality, and the Jews remained the “other” in Germany.

Catholics and Jews both benefited from the founding of the Weimar Republic. Catholics entered the government in leadership positions, and Jews participated actively in Weimar cultural life. Many Protestant clergymen resented the loss of their privileged status. While many slowly accepted the new Republic, others were never reconciled to it. Both Protestant and Catholic clergy were suspicious of the Socialists who were a part of the ruling group in Weimar and who often voiced Marxist hostility toward religion. Conflicts over religion and education and religion and gender policies were often intense during the Weimar years. The growth of the Communist Party in Germany alarmed Protestant and Catholic clergy, and the strong support the Catholic Center Political Party had given to the Republic weakened in the last years of the Republic. While Jews had unprecedented opportunities during the Weimar period, their accomplishments and increased visibility added resentment to long-standing prejudices and hatreds and fueled a growing antisemitism.

Use the following document to explore the topic of religion in the Weimar Republic.