 The Nazis used racist propaganda to gain support for their persecution of Germany's Jewish population. Jews were arrested and beaten up. Many lost their jobs. Jewish shopkeepers were forced to close down their businesses. Abusive slogans were painted on their windows and armed SA men stood outside threatening any Germans who attempted to shop there.
In 1935 the Nuremberg Laws forbade Jews to marry non-Jews and took away from Jews their rights as German citizens. In 1938 an appalling wave of anti-semitic violence swept through the country. Persecution became more intense with Jewish property being confiscated and Jews barred from parks, concerts and sporting events. The SA broke into Jewish homes and burnt down synagogues, beating up and torturing any Jews they happened to find.
The Final Solution, the extermination of the Jews, did not take place until the Second World War, but it was well on its way before 1939. Some Jews managed to flee the country. Some committed suicide in despair. The majority however stayed where they were, with the terrible results. Germany was where they had always lived. It was their home. They had nowhere else to go.
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