Abstract
This thesis explains how German Jewish families made the
decision to flee Nazi Germany. It examines which phenomena most
impacted the emigration decision-making process. I found that older
individuals and men who were usually more invested in German
society and culture were less likely to consider emigration. This
sense of identity explains the resistance these groups felt towards
emigration. The German Jewish community that existed prior to the
rise of National Socialism was comprised of individuals who
practiced different levels of religious observance, worked in
numerous professions and called different cities and towns home.
The thing these individuals had in common was their strong
connection to Germany. Most German Jews were very nationalistic and
patriotic. They considered themselves German, as well as Jewish.
This sense of identity was closely linked to age. Older Jews who
had lived through other periods of anti-Semitism did not initially
see Nazism to be unique. As Nazism progressed, Jews were confronted
with the realization that the country they considered home would
rather exist without them and had to consider whether the best
future for themselves and their families lay outside of
Germany.
Table of Contents
Introduction- Page 1
Chapter 1- The Dynamics and Composition of the German Jewish
Community Before 1933
The History of Assimilation and Acculturation-Page 9
Generational Differences and Connections to German Identity-Page
16
Gender Norms in German Families-Page 19
Chapter 2- Emigration Begins: Jewish Life Between 1933 and
1938
Overview of anti-Jewish Legislation and Immediate Jewish
Action-Page 23
The Emigration Conundrum-Page 35
Chapter 3- The Last Straw: Kristallnacht and its impact on German
Jewish Emigration
The Progression to Kristallnacht and the Expansion of Nazism Beyond
Germany's Borders-Page 44
The Emigration Dilemma in 1938 and its Contributions to
Kristallnacht-Page 48
The Last Years of Emigration 1939- 1941-Page 56
Conclusion-Page 59
Bibliography-Page 64
About this Honors Thesis
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