Unveiling the Shadows: The Harrowing Truth of Jewish Persecution and the Quest for Identity in Nazi Germany

After Hitler came to power, he aggressively promoted racism within Germany, with Jews becoming the primary target. There were "cleansings" and concentration camps; throughout World War II, a total of 6 million people were persecuted.

The question is, Jews and Germans do not appear to be significantly different on the surface. Once there was suspicion about who was Jewish, inspectors might use a ruler to measure certain dimensions or perhaps pull down one's pants to know for sure.

This approach was obviously absurd. So, what secrets did the Jewish body hold?

Why the Hatred for Jews

In modern times, Germany was the most vehemently anti-Semitic country in Europe, a situation related to Germany's national circumstances at the time.

With the development of capitalism, Jews in Germany invested in industries, finance, and commerce under all favorable conditions, amassing considerable wealth in a short period and occupying an important position in the German economy.

At the beginning of the last century, over 80% of Jews were in the upper-middle class, and most were urban dwellers, a figure several times higher than that of non-Jews. They also constituted the highest percentage of the wealthy population, which later became a catalyst for conflict.

Conversely, the lower and middle classes in Germany were often tormented by inflation, unemployment, and poverty. The vast economic disparity fueled the discontent and resentment of ethnic Germans, deepening their animosity towards Jews.

It's important to note that Jews made up only 1% of Germany's total population at the time, yet they were prominent in politics, economics, and culture, producing numerous scientists, journalists, lawyers, etc., which led many Germans to view Jews as a severe threat.

Germany's defeat in World War I forced ethnic Germans to accept the humiliating treaties imposed by Britain and France, including territorial concessions and reparations, political instability, and economic depression, leading to irrational behavior and speech among Germans.

Hitler astutely seized this opportunity, promising that "milk and bread would appear on every German's table," which led many to believe in him. To change the dire economic reality, Hitler turned his blade towards the Jews.

Initially, Germany restricted Jews, prohibiting them from being civil servants or entering public places, which gradually escalated to expulsion. By 1938, during the "Night of Broken Glass," Germany began systematically persecuting Jews.

As World War II broke out and Germany expanded its territory in the early years of the war, racial persecution of Jews intensified. In addition to Germany itself, other occupied regions also established concentration camps, becoming massive slaughterhouses.

When Germany unconditionally surrendered, the dark days for Jews finally ended. Throughout World War II, a total of 6 million Jews were slaughtered by Germany, accounting for one-third of the Jewish population at the time.

It's not hard to see that this number is quite staggering. So, how did Germany distinguish whether the person under review was Jewish or not?

The Secret of Jews

At first, Germany distinguished by appearance and status, but there was no significant difference between Germans and Jews in appearance, and this method was subjective, prone to mistakes, and inefficient.

Thus, Germany came up with a method to determine if someone was Jewish by pulling down their pants. What was the principle behind this method?

It turns out that Judaism has a religious ceremony called circumcision. Boys undergo circumcision eight days after birth, which is an indispensable ceremony to become "God's chosen people," dating back to the time of Abraham.

Circumcision is a unique religious mark of Jews, but during World War II, this phenomenon became a standard for Germans to identify Jews. Whether someone was Jewish or not, one only needed to check if they had undergone circumcision by pulling down their pants.

If circumcision was found on the person under review, they would be sent to a concentration camp. In other words, circumcision became an important means of identifying Jewish identity. However, this ceremony has special significance for Jews, and even at the risk of their lives, some did not give it up.

In addition to determining if someone was Jewish by pulling down their pants, Germany had another method: using a ruler to measure the size.

Although there was not much difference between Jews and Germans in appearance, the shape and size of Jewish noses were somewhat distinct; they were larger and wider, which also became a means for Germany to distinguish Jews.

Thus, some German soldiers would carry rulers when patrolling the streets, measuring the size of noses if they were suspicious. It can be said that there was no scientific basis for this, but in that special era, it became a method of inspection.

In that dark age, a large number of Jews fled Europe, moving to other countries, with two main areas of concentration: one is present-day Israel, and the other is North America.

The establishment of Israel provided a new home for Jews. After World War II, Jews who survived in Europe immigrated to Israel in various ways, which also spared them from discrimination and persecution.

Those who moved to North America mainly settled in the United States and Canada. The relatively relaxed immigration policies and better economic environment made these countries the top choices for Jews. They established their communities and developed various Jewish cultures after the war.

Many have achieved significant success in business, culture, and politics. However, the situation has changed significantly, and the tragedy that Jews experienced during World War II is hoped not to be repeated with the Palestinian people.

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