Context

What socio-political circumstances allowed the Holocaust to happen?

In order to understand where Anne could have disappeared, it is important to understand what was happening in the area that she was living in. She lived in Europe, during a very unstable time.

The Nazi government ruled Germany from 1933 -1945. Under the leadership of Hitler, anti-Jewish laws were implemented. These policies rested on the main ideas of the party. The main ideas were:

• Strong, single central rule under the Fuhrer 
• A strong population that comprising only of people from the master race (Aryans) 
• Militarism, in which a powerful military force is kept to ensure a Strong Germany

Click on the link to find out more about the Nazi Ideology.

Policy #1

First Decree to the Reich Citizenship Law, 14 November 1935

This was one of the Nuremberg Laws (a set of laws which took away many rights of the Jews).

"A Jew cannot be a Reich citizen. He is not entitled to the right to vote on political matters; he cannot hold public office... A Jew is anyone descended from at least three grandparents who are fully Jewish as regards race...who belonged to the Jewish religious community...who was married to a Jew...who is an offspring of extramarital intercourse with a Jew..." 

German Nazi rule spread to other parts of Europe with the outbreak of WWII in 1939. Anti-Jewish measures spread to these areas too. Netherlands was conquered in 1940, where the Frank family was. Anne wrote a list of things that were no long permitted for the Jews in Netherland:

“Our freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Jewish decrees: Jews were required to wear a yellow star; Jews were required to turn in their bicycles; Jews were forbidden to use trams; Jews were forbidden to ride in cars, even their own; Jews were required to do their shopping between 3:00 and 5:00 P.M.; Jews were required to frequent only Jewish-owned barbershops and beauty parlors; Jews were forbidden to be out on the streets between 8:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M.; Jews were forbidden to attend theaters, movies or any other forms of entertainment; Jews were forbidden to use swimming pools, tennis courts, hockey fields or any other athletic fields; Jews were forbidden to go rowing; Jews were forbidden to take part in any athletic activity in public; Jews were forbidden to sit in their gardens or those of their friends after 8:00 P.M.; Jews were forbidden to visit Christians in their homes; Jews were required to attend Jewish schools, etc.”

Policy #2

Establishment of the Jewish Ghettoes, October 1939 Onwards

As the Nazi sphere of influence spread, Jewish ghettos were established. In order to ensure that the new German-controlled lands only had people of non-Jewish descent, large Jewish populations were relocated to ghettoes with miserable conditions.

In these Jewish ghettos, Jews were required to wear a Star of David armband to identify themselves as Jews to the German authorities.

Activity 5:
How did Nazi ideologies shape anti-Jewish measures? How did these measures move so quickly from mere intolerance to complete extermination? Recall from your background knowledge and the sources above, and write your explanation below.